Deshi Basara
by Noniona
Summary: Jenny was chased from Gotham by the police eight years ago. Crane was in Blackgate, The Joker was sent to Arkham, Dent was dead and the Batman was blamed for his death. Now Jenny is returning. People have changed, and a certain masked man is terrorising the city. What will happen when she tries to find her ex-therapist again and fix what she can? Sequel to 'Where is my mind'
1. Chapter 1

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter One**

_"I'll go. But please, don't do this. You don't deserve to be blamed for this."_

_"Neither does Dent. I'll help you get as far away as I can."_

_He climbed onto the bike and Jenny followed. She looked at Gordon, who was staring at them incredulously. "I'm sorry," she told him._

_He locked eyes with her. "I don't think you're a bad person, Jennifer. Wrong place at the wrong time perhaps.." She didn't know what to say to that. She wrapped her arms around Batman's stomach as he started the bike and sped away from the approaching sirens._

* * *

**8 years later**

The vehicle pulled up next to the commuter plane with a jolt and three militia men exited, pushing the bespectacled doctor forwards. He looked around nervously. There was a small group of professional looking people, including several special forces soldiers, stood next to the plane, watching him with interest. A bland CIA operative stepped forward.

"Dr Pavel, I'm Agent Gillan. CIA." He offered his hand and Pavel shook it, sweating nervously.

"He was not alone," the driver put in. Gillan looked at the three figures being dragged from the vehicle, dark hoods covering their heads.

He turned back to Pavel. "You don't get to bring _friends_."

Pavel's voice shook. "They are _not _my friends."

"No charge for them," the driver added roughly.

Gillan looked back to the hooded men curiously. "Why would I want them?"

"They were trying to grab your prize," the driver answered. He smiled. "They work for the mercenary. The masked man."

Gillan straightened, excited. "_Bane_?" he clarified. The driver nodded. One of the people near the aircraft shifted, but before Pavel could see who it was he was roughly pulled onto the plane by a soldier. The rest followed in twos and threes.

Pavel sat on the edge of his seat, looking at the hooded men nervously. They were at the end of the plane, handcuffed and frozen. Gillan was the last to enter. The plane took off, and Gillan talked to one of the special forces men in a low voice. He looked to his left and noticed the only woman on the craft for the first time. She was opening her laptop and looking at the hooded men out of the corner of her eye. Pavel realised this was the person who had shifted at the mention of Bane on the runway.

"Who are you?" Gillan asked her, confused.

"I'm Harry's replacement," she said, not looking up from her screen. She had an unusal accent.

"Where is Harry?"

"He's indisposed."

Gillan looked furious. "'Indisposed'? He thought he could take a sick day? Do they realise how important this operation is?"

The woman looked up. "Yes sir, that's why they sent _me_."

Gillan paused before he smiled at the woman's confidence and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and began to type. Gillan marched over to the first hooded man and kicked him hard.

"What are you doing in my operation?" he asked. There was no answer. He pulled out his gun. "The flight plan that my friend there," he gestured to the woman, "just filed with the agency lists me, my people, and Dr Pavel here, but only _one _of _you_." One of the men opened the cargo door and the first prisoner was shoved forward, his hooded head sticking out of the craft. Gillan cocked his gun and shouted over the howling wind. "First one to talk gets to stay on my aircraft! So, who paid you to kidnap Dr Pavel?" The hooded man said nothing. He nodded to one of the soldiers and the prisoner was dragged back, and clubbed across the head into silence. "He didn't fly so good!" Gillan grinned as the next man was brought forwards. The soldiers hung him out of the door. "Who is Bane? Why does he wear the mask?" Nothing. "Lot of loyalty for a hired gun!"

A deep voice rang out across the plane. "Or maybe he's wondering why he would shoot a man, before throwing him out of a plane." Every head turned to the third prisoner. Gillan gestured for the door to be closed before making his way over.

"At least you can talk. Who are you?"

"We are nothing. We are the dirt beneath your feet. And no one cared who I was until I put on the mask..." The woman moved closer, her green eyes fixed on the prisoner. She pushed the laptop aside. Pavel watched her curiously, trying to ignore the obvious tension rising.

Gillan looked wary as he slowly pulled the hood away, revealing a bald man, his mouth covered with a frightening looking mask. His eyes were cold and hard. Pavel noticed an accent, not unlike a British one. "Who we are does not matter. What matters is our plan."

Gillan eyed the mask with a wary curiosity. "If I pull that mask off, would you die?"

"It would be extremely painful-"

"You're a big guy-"

"-for you."

Pavel saw the woman move her hand behind her back. Her eyes were still fixed on the masked man. Bane's eyes flicked to her, before returning to Gillan, who looked extremely unnerved. He tried to regain his composure, feeling uncomfortable under Bane's gaze. "Was being caught part of your plan?"

"Of course. Dr. Pavel refused our offer in favor of yours. We had to know what he told you about us."

Pavel felt his heart in his throat. "Nothing! I said nothing!" They ignored him.

"Why not just ask him?"

"He would not have told us."

"You have methods."

"Him, I need healthy. You present no such problem."

Gillan laughed but everyone could tell it was forced. He was terrified. A low noise started outside and the plane lurched dangerously.

"Well, congratulations! You got yourself caught! Now what's the next step of your _master _plan?"

The woman's hand moved from behind her, and Pavel saw a glint of metal.

"Crashing this plane." Bane said, in a low voice. The plane lurched again and Gillan saw several of the men stumble. He turned his head back to Bane. "-with no survivors!" Bane rose and gave Gillan a strong kick to the stomach. He fell back, feeling several ribs break. Grabbing his gun firmly he aimed.. but before he could shoot Bane the woman pointed her gun and shot twice. Gillan's brains and blood spattered against the walls of the plane. Bane looked at the woman, his eyes still cold and still. But she ignored him, vaulting over a chair and beginning to fight with Gillan's men who, just a few moments ago, had been her team. One of the sergeants turned in time to see two men perched on the wing, shooting through the windows. Gillan's men dropped one by one, and Bane was knocking them down like flies with one punch. The men on the wings shot out the remaining windows and attached grapples to the fuselage, giving the thumbs up to what could only be another plane, above them. The plane lurched one more time, the tail rising. Everything became a blur of tumbling chaos. Soldiers fell to the bottom, yelling and hitting the door of the cockpit with a slam. Pavel fastened his seatbelt, and the woman fell back, gripping the seats before she reached the cockpit door where a tangle of bodies remained. She began pulling herself up between the rows of seats. The plane vibrated and they heard a groan of metal. Bane snapped his handcuffs as though they were made of plastic, and dropped down, using his arms to stop himself before he slammed into the woman who was struggling to climb up the vertical fuselage. He grabbed Pavel. An explosion ripped off the tail, now the top, of the plane, and armed men dropped down. A body bag was caught by Bane, who opened it to reveal a body similar to Pavel. He gripped Pavel's arm tightly and one of his men helped him attach a needle to his arm, ignoring Pavel's squeaked protests. The blood transferred from Pavel's arm to the body and he watched, horrified. The plane was still groaning under the strain, and Bane yanked out the needle, tying a dangling harness to himself. The woman watched from just below, still gripping the chairs.

"No!" Bane shouted over the noise, to one of the men. "They expect one of us in the wreckage, brother."

The man nodded and calmly removed his harness, standing on the back of the top seat. "Have we started the fire?" he asked.  
"Yes," Bane answered. "The fire rises." He tied his harness around Pavel too, who was flailing, terrified. "Calm, doctor. Now is not the time for fear. That comes later." He pulled out a detonator and pushed a button. With a scream the plane fell from around them. Bane looked down as the fuselage fell and was stunned to see the woman hanging below them, her arm looped through the abandoned harness. They hung from the large plane above them, which began to move with a rumble. The harnesses were pulled up.

* * *

One by one the men were pulled back into the plane, through the open cargo door. When they were safely inside the door hummed shut and the men looked at the mysterious woman, who was trying to untangle herself from the harness. She threw it to the side, noticing everyone's eyes upon her.

"She is one of them," one man said hatefully.

"She shot the CIA man," another told him. "She helped."

Bane ignored them, instead moving closer until he was inches from her face. She looked at him defiantly, but he could still sense slight fear. "Who are you?"

"Rachel Dawes," she answered immediately. "I was an assistant DA in Gotham."

"Gotham?" Bane repeated.

"Yes. I know you're going there. This was the quickest way to get there."

Bane gave a low chuckle at that. "You impersonated a CIA agent, and risked your life to hitch a ride?"

"Yes." She paused, noticing the raised eyebrows of Bane's men. Most of them were wearing improvised bullet proof vests and scarves around their mouths. "And because I wanted to see the masked mercenary that everyone is talking about."

"You have a strange accent. Where are you from?"

"As do you. I'm from Gotham, originally. But I've been to many places over the years."

Bane nodded. "You know I must kill you?"

"No, you don't. I'll get off the plane when it lands and disappear. You'll never see Rachel Dawes again, I assure you."

"How do we know you will not go to the police?" one of the men asked.

"I don't think you're scared of the police," she said with a small smile. "But even if I did, what would I say? 'I was impersonating a CIA agent when suddenly Bane appeared and starting killing people!' No. I don't think they would like me very much. Do you?"

Bane looked into her eyes- green and bright. He liked her. And she had killed Gillan. Not that he needed her too, he could've broken his neck in one strike. "Why are you going to Gotham?"

Her smile widened. "I'll tell you if you tell me."

"We are on a job," he said, seeing no reason to tell her any more, or less.

"I have something to fix," she said, giving him as little information as he had given her.

"That is no concern of mine. Why should I keep you alive?"

"Because I just saved your life?" He could tell that she knew she hadn't. She had shot Gillan, yes, but there was no way Gillan would've had a chance to kill Bane either way.

"No. You didn't. But you may go on your way when we land."

"Thank you." She sat on one of the seats along the side of the plane, ignoring the incredulous looks of the men around her.

* * *

The plane landed and she leaped off the edge of the cargo door before it had fully opened. From a distance she watched the men unload the plane, and saw Pavel dragged into a building to the left. What she had said was mostly true. She wanted to get to Gotham, but this plane wasn't necessarily the fastest way to get there. She had heard a lot about the mysterious Bane while she was on the run, and wanted to see him for herself. The plan was easy. She heard of Bane's job to capture Dr Pavel and found the flight number. She tracked Harry down, a cocky CIA agent who no one seemed to like. She had killed him after he told her exactly what their mission was, and drove straight to the airport, acting professional. No one asked her for ID. For the CIA they weren't very thorough. She hadn't worked out why Bane was going to Gotham, but that didn't concern her now.

All that mattered was that she was going back. After eight years, and everything that had happened with the Joker, and the Batman, and Harvey Dent.. and Crane. She had been away for too long. She had been on the run for eight years, but no one seemed to be after her anymore. They still believed that she had worked with the Joker, and she had heard rumours that she had worked with Batman to take down Harvey. In Morocco she had even heard that she was behind everything. That she was more dangerous than the Joker, that she had _told _the Joker what to do. She had laughed at that. The Joker had once said that he never gets full credit. But now Gotham had moved on. Not much, of course, but enough for her to be confident that few people would recognise her any more She had things to fix, not least of all trying to find a way to see Crane. She watched Bane and his men disappear into the building. She shouldn't have given him Rachel's name but it was the first name that popped into her head. Zipping up her jacket Jenny began to walk, hoping to get a cab or bus for the remaining few miles to Gotham.

* * *

**A/N:** I really hope you've enjoyed this chapter :) I'm trying to write it so that it's not _completely_ necessary to read Where is my mind to understand what's going on, so most of what happened will be mentioned and explained as we go on :) Please review so I know whether you like it and how I can improve it. Thanks so much for reading!

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	2. Chapter 2

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Two**

It had been a week. One week since she set foot in Gotham again for the first time in eight years. When she had left it had been a city filled with chaos and terror. Buildings were burned to the ground, the mob was broken and scattered, people were terrified of leaving their homes. She had ran away with the Batman, moments after Dent's death. She was already blamed for the Joker's crimes, and the Batman knew that people would blame her for Dent too. He had taken the main fall. The Batman was once a symbol of freedom and confidence, but now people spat out his name in derision. The city still hated him, eight years on. Jennifer Aiken was never mentioned anymore. People still remembered her, but as a faded memory. She was someone who had appeared and disappeared in the space of a few months. But the Batman, he'd been there for years- Gotham's beloved vigilante. It was him that people hated the most.

It took her two days to become confident enough to walk down the street. But, when she did, no one gave her a passing glance. All too focused on their own lives. Gotham had flourished again. They had passed the 'Dent Act', a law which meant that criminals could be locked away without parole. Jenny wondered how different things would be if the city knew the truth. If they knew that Dent had been driven insane by the Joker, and had tried to kill Commissioner Gordon and his family. They called it 'the time of peace'.

She had found an abandoned apartment on the outskirts of the Narrows. It was small, but still quite clean and fully furnished. It would do. She'd visited several bars in the Narrows, wanting to catch up on the important 'underground' news that would only spread through places like the Narrows. She also knew that the Narrows would be the least dangerous place for someone to see her, which was ironic. The derelict, neglected part of Gotham was still as bad as it had been eight years ago, filled with ex-convicts and criminals who were hiding from the Dent Act. It meant that turning her in would mean prison for most of them too. Being spotted in Gotham city centre would mean Blackgate by the end of the day, but in the Narrows she felt a strange element of safety. That night she visited her eighth bar. It was a cheap place, lit with red and orange lights hanging low from the ceilings. As soon as she entered she realised she had made a mistake. She had heard laughter and the clinking of glasses from outside, but as she walked towards the bar the silence seemed to follow her. The men nearest the door nudged the people next to them and, soon, everyone's eyes were on her. She sat on a bar stool.

"Vodka and lime please." She said to the bartender. For a moment he stood silent, gawping at her. He looked familiar and she remembered entering the same bar eight years ago, after she had moved out of the Joker's apartment. It was the bar where she had met Edward again. The drink was pushed towards her and she downed it, feeling a fresh wave of guilt hit her. She still didn't know whether it was her bullet or the Joker's that had hit Edward, killing him. She gestured for another drink and slowly the room began to fill with noise again. Every now and then, though, she heard someone say her name, or the Joker's, or Dent's. They still remembered. Gritting her teeth she turned to leave, but felt someone grab her arm. Preparing to punch them she turned. The man smiled, his thin top lip sticking out slightly over his bottom lip.

"Would you stay for a drink?"

"I just had one."

"On me." He smiled again, and Jenny wondered if he was trying to look friendly. If that was his intention he was failing miserably. She looked him over. Smart suit. Expensive. Silver cufflinks and a smart haircut. This man didn't belong here. She returned the smile.

"Sure."

He led her to a booth and sat opposite, ordering drinks for the both of them. She watched him curiously.

"So, you look like you're from out of town."

"I have been."

"Uh huh." She didn't like the way he was looking at her. "You've been to Gotham before?"

"A long time ago." The waitress gave them their drinks and left. Jenny sipped hers, waiting for the man to talk.

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries." He leaned forward. "I know who you are."

"Mm, shocker." She finished her drink.

"You look different to your photos.. You've been gone a long time," he smiled that hideous smile again.

"Is there a point to any of this?"

"I seem to remember you being the port of call when people needed something to be, ahem, taken without arousing suspicion."

"You want me to steal something." It wasn't a question. "What?"

"Fingerprints."

"Fingerprints?" she repeated.

"Yes. I understand using powders and transfers-"

"Yes. But why ask me?"

"Well, before you murdered Harvey Dent your name was always the one put forward when people needed things stealing. You were quite the thief. I was going to ask one of these morons," he gestured around the bar, "but you walked in. Fate."

She tried to move past the mention of Dent. "Who's fingerprints?"

"Bruce Wayne."

Her eyes flicked up to him. "Wayne? Why?"

"That's not your concern."

"I'm sorry but I'm not exactly looking for work at the minute." She stood halfway before his hand shot out and grabbed hers tightly. She gritted her teeth and sat back down.

"I wasn't asking you.. You're still a murderer, regardless of how long you've stayed away. You wouldn't want the police finding out that you're in Gotham now, would you?"

"The entire bar has seen me. Word will get out."

"But they won't know where to find you. Unless I tell them. I understand you have a pretty little apartment on Ridge Avenue-"

"How the fuck do you know that?"

"You went to the bar on 6th last night. My friend followed you."

Jenny cursed silently. "Great."

"So, I'd like those fingerprints by Friday. Here by 7pm."

She gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Of course. Do I get your name?"

"Daggett."

"Very nice." She stood, finally wrenching her hand from his grip. "And Mr Daggett? If you think that you can get away with blackmailing me, maybe you should cast your mind back to everything I did before I left Gotham eight years ago." She left him without another word. He watched her go, suddenly uneasy.

As soon as she was outside she leaned against a wall, letting her heartbeat slow down and letting out a long breath. She'd been in Gotham a week and was already being blackmailed into stealing from the richest man in the city. Fantastic. She checked no one had followed her out before walking quickly back to her apartment.

* * *

It was 8pm. Thursday night. Jenny was skulking behind a hedge, watching the cops and politicians make small-talk over champagne and shrimp balls. She looked up to the manor beside her, noticing a slight gap in the window on the second floor. She smiled at the memory of one of her first jewelry store robberies- when she had to scale the side of the building to get inside. It was easy then. It was easier now. She gripped the ledge of the ground floor window and slowly made her way up, using the ledges for support. Pushing the window up she slid in gracefully, finding herself in a long room, filled with furniture covered in sheets. She scoffed. Why have a manor of this size if the rooms weren't even used?

Bruce leaned on his cane, relieving his ruined knee of his weight. He could hear the socialites talking and laughing outside. One thing he was glad of was the fact that he didn't need to continually mix with them anymore. No one seemed to care if he showed up, just as long as donations were made in his name and his grounds were ocassionally offered generously for events such as tonight. He noticed light shining from under the door of the inner drawing room and frowned, approaching it and opening it as quietly as he could. A woman stood at the end of the room, her back to him. She was admiring a photograph of what could only have been Rachel. It was the only photograph he had in this room. He cleared his throat. The woman gasped and turned, and Bruce felt his limbs freeze. _Jennifer_.. He hadn't seen her in eight years. Exactly eight years. Her hair was darker, and she seemed thinner, but her eyes were still as green as they had been that night. She looked at him, as though she was unsure of what to do.

"Mr Wayne.. it's.. it's nice to meet you." She walked forwards and offered her hand nervously. He ignored it, still stunned. He couldn't ask her the questions he wanted to without revealing who he was. "It, it _is _Mr Wayne, isn't it?" He nodded. "You don't have the long nails.. or facial scars.." She trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Is that what they say about me?"

"I've heard that nobody sees you.."

"Nobody seen you either, for eight years."

She locked eyes with him, her coyness gone. She gave him a small smile. "So you know who I am?"

"Everyone who lived here eight years ago knows who you are. And most people who moved here after that."

"Hm. I never wanted to be famous." She backed away, towards the window.

"I should call the cops-"

Her eyes moved over his face, examining his expression. "But you won't," she finished.

"And why not?"

"Because if you were going to tell people I was here you would've done it already."

He couldn't help but smile at that. His eyes fell to the necklace she was wearing. "Nice necklace.. reminds me of one my mom had. It can't be the same one, because hers is in this safe right here." He knocked a cabinet door open with his cane, revealing an open safe inside. He smiled up at her. "The manufacturer told me it was uncrackable."

Jenny gave a small laugh. "Nobody told _me_."

"You're still as good as you were back then, huh?"

She climbed onto the open window and grinned at him . "Better." Flipping backwards she disappeared into the night.

* * *

Alfred entered not long afterwards, frowning in confusion as Bruce examined the safe.

"Late night stroll, sir?"

"We've been robbed."

"And this is your way of raising the alarm, is it?"

"I know who did it."

"Sir?"

"Aiken."

Alfred looked shocked. "She's back in Gotham?"

"Yeah, she is. I told her never to come back.."

"Did she know who you were?"

"No." He struggled to his feet. "She took my mother's necklace."

"Why were you dusting for prints?" Alfred asked, noticing a grey powder on the safe handle.

"I wasn't. She was," Bruce answered, as confused about Jenny's actions as Alfred clearly was.

* * *

Jenny sat on her bed, sliding the prints into a small envelope. She couldn't believe her bad luck. In Gotham for one week and already blackmailed into stealing, running into Bruce Wayne so yet another person had recognised her, and now wondering what on earth she was going to do next. She had spent almost a decade travelling. At least that's what she liked to call it. It was really running away. Everywhere she went she saw news reports of the 'mass murderer known as Jennifer Aiken'. She had eventually had to leave the States, traversing the Middle East after the Batman had suggested it to her before he drove away on his bike, himself preparing to hang up his cape and cowl. There'd been plenty of places to practice her fighting, polish her thieving skills and put her manipulation to good use, but it had grown boring very quickly. She longed to be back in Gotham. As much as she loathed it, it was her home. She had lived there her entire life. Most of all she wanted to see Crane again. He had been captured by the Batman in a parking complex after a meeting with a mob boss called Mansur. Carted off to Blackgate. Everything had happened to fast for Jenny to come up with a plan of action. The Joker had grown even more reckless and unruly and, as mucha as she wanted to see Crane, she had to think of her own neck first. Now he'd been there for eight years. Jenny shuddered to think of being locked away for that long. She'd hated the few months that she had been aware of in Arkham. If she hadn't have escaped, she _would've _gone crazy. But after their breakout security had been increased, and every part of Arkham had been repaired, to ensure no more breakouts. And her return to Gotham now had resulted in even more security around Crane and the Joker, as if they knew exactly why she had wanted to come back to Gotham. They couldn't fence off the city, but they could block off the only two friends she had in the world.. if they could count as friends. The only other person she could stand was the Batman. But she had no idea who he was, or _where _he was. He could be dead for all she knew. She put the envelope on her bedside table and tried to get some sleep before her meeting with Daggett tomorrow.

* * *

Crane flicked through the book trying to engage in some light reading. He couldn't. Normally he would spend all day in the rec room, reading book after book. It was all he _could _do, in this place. But now they'd given him two guards, tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, who followed him around everywhere he went. Scarecrow wanted to kill them, and it was getting harder and harder to disagree with him. Once again no one told him why these new guards had been assigned to him, but that was nothing new. The staff here loathed him. Probably because he was smarter, and even as a lunatic he had managed to achieve more than these people could ever hope to achieve in their entire lives. He looked around the room, trying to find some source of amusement.

_**White Power Bill is hoping to shank an inmate at dinner. That could be amusing.**_

As always, Scarecrow's thoughts immediately turned to the possibility of death and violence. _I have no interest in racial spats._

_**You see anything else to do in here? **_Scarecrow asked, almost rhetorically. He knew there was nothing to do as much as Crane did.

_I would rather read this coma-inducing drivel than watch White Power Bill struggle to get off his fat backside._

Scarecrow laughed at that. _**Fine, Johnny-boy.**_

Crane's eyes fixed on the television mounted in the top left corner of the room and jumped to his feet, almost running to it when he saw the mug shot that the news had put on the screen. He turned to tweedle-dum, or dee. He wasn't sure which.

"Turn it up." The man ignored him. Crane gave him a look of pure loathing before moving as close to the television as he could without walking underneath it so he couldn't see the photo. It was Jennifer. It was the mugshot that the police had taken before she had first been sent to Arkham. Her hair was messy and tangled, and there was blood spattered across her face. Her eyes, the same dazzling green that Scarecrow had taken a fancy to, were cold and lifeless. He hadn't seen the photo since the night of the Arkham breakout. It had been pinned to the front of the file that he had found in Doctor Penrose's office. The same file that contained the truth about Aiken, including her real name. He strained to hear the news anchor.

_"-It's been eight years since Gotham's white knight, Harvey Dent, was murdered by the Batman and convicted criminal Jennifer Aiken. Both fled from the scene, and have not been seen since. But now new reports suggest that Jennifer Aiken has returned to Gotham, and preparing to return to her criminal roots. After suspicions that Aiken may be planning more breakouts security has been doubled around the Joker, currently residing at Arkham, and Jonathan Crane, at Blackgate prison, both of whom escaped Arkham asylum with Jennifer Aiken before Dent's murder. GPD are currently deciding on whether the sightings are legitimate, and what the best course of action would be if Aiken has indeed returned to Gotham. In other news, Harvey Dent Day was once again a success this year. The annual fundraiser held in honour of Harvey raised over $8 million dollars for the judicial system. Police have hinted that the money will be used to expand Blackgate prison, due to the increasing number of convicts held there under the Dent Act. The fundraiser was held in the grounds of Wayne Manor, although Bruce Wayne himself was not seen. Now the weather-"_

He gazed at the photograph, feeling strange emotions surge through him.

_She's returned to Gotham?_

_**The whore's returned to Gotham. **_Scarecrow gave a short laugh. _**Took her long enough.**_

_Why is she back?_

_**How the fuck would I know? But one thing's for certain, she hasn't come for us. **_

Crane found himself agreeing. Scarecrow had hated Jenny from the beginning, even more so when she didn't help them escape from Blackgate. Blackgate was less prepared to deal with psychotics than Arkham was, so Crane found it easy to hide and destroy his pills whenever they were given to him. Scarecrow told him to do it at first, but now he did it without thinking. Every day for eight years he'd reinforced his hatred of Jenny in Crane's mind, telling him that she had fucked the Joker, that she had forgotten about him..

_She didn't come for us when we were first thrown in this prison. She didn't care. _

_**Exactly. She ran straight into the Joker's arms.. you don't care about her, do you Johnny-boy?**_

_Of course I don't. _Crane snapped.

_**Good. She's just another stuck up girl, who pretended to like you then laughed at you the moment your back was turned.. Remember what she did, or rather **_**didn't **_**do. If she'd back in Gotham it's not for you.**_

Crane's hands curled into fists and he turned away from the television, walking back to his chair.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow guys, thanks so much for the favourites and follows and reviews. I was unsure how the time jump would affect people like Jenny, but I have a very good idea of what she's been up to while she's been away. She's no longer the little girl on the verge of cracking like she was in 'Where is my mind', she's confident, and determined, albeit unsure of what she's going to do, haha. Please review when you've finished reading this. Me and reviews are like Crane and fear :D I really want to know what you guys like and dislike about this story, and where you want this story to go :) Thanks so much for reading!

**TC Stark: **Thanks so much! That plane scene was one of my favourite parts about TDKR. I remember seeing it for the first time and realising just how amazing the rest of the film must be if that's the scene that they were opening with haha. I'm aiming to include Bane in this story quite a lot, so we haven't seen the last of him ;)

**trudes193:** Wow, thank you! I'm actually starting university on Monday on an English with creative writing, so your review has given me a lot more confidence! And Jenny is indeed a badass ;)

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	3. Chapter 3

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Three**

She should've known not to enter any bars. Obviously people were going to recognise her. She'd been gone a long time but Gotham was still hung up on the death of Harvey Dent. But she didn't realise just how recognisable her face was these days. Now Mike Engel, someone she would've been glad to never hear of again, had announced that the criminal Jennifer Aiken had been spotted in Gotham. That was all she needed. She couldn't risk going outside today, at least not until she needed to meet Daggett. Glancing at the envelope that contained the prints Jenny realised that she needed a backup plan. She couldn't imagine Daggett letting her walk away after their transaction.

* * *

The bar was almost empty when she entered. The phone she had taken from the congressman was in her pocket, the young boy she had found on the streets was outside, waiting for her message. The congressman himself was unconscious in an alley three blocks away. It had been dumb luck that he had walked past Jenny's apartment, on his way to a brothel on the edge of the Narrows. She had followed him, knocking him out and taking his cell. People would be looking for him by now. Congressmen were busy people. She was wearing simple figure-hugging black clothes, learning a long time ago that black was the best colour for a criminal. She saw four or five thugs stood against the walls, and a strange man sat at a centre table. She sat opposite him.

"You're not Daggett."

"No. I'm not. I'm Stryver. He sent me-"

"-his trained monkey, to do his dirty work?"

"-to meet you," Stryver finished, angry that she had mocked him. He noticed her glancing at the thugs, and realised she seemed jumpy. He smirked. "You have them?"

She handed him the envelope. "Right hand, no partials."

He slid the transfer out of the envelope and examined them. Silently he pocketed them and looked at her. She smiled. "Oh yeah, you'll be wanting his thumb, right? I want a few questions answering first." He blinked, wondering what game she was playing.

"I have a few questions for you," he said, watching her reaction. She seemed surprised. "How about I ask you one, and you ask me one?" She paused and nodded. "Are you really Jennifer Aiken?"

"I am. Has the Batman really been gone for eight years?" she asked, hoping that there had at least been a sighting or two. She had a sinking feeling that he was dead.

"Yes. The news said you were born and raised in Gotham.. why the accent?"

She smiled. "I've travelled a lot. Middle East mostly."

"Doing what?"

"I thought it was my turn?" She pouted. A thug moved closer and Stryver grinned.

"You're not really in charge here. Doing _what_?"

With a small sigh she leaned back in her chair. This wasn't going the way she had planned. "I left Gotham, had to leave the States, went to the Middle East- Egypt, Turkey, those kinds of places. Learned how to take care of myself."

"You seemed to know that already."

"I learned _more_. Here I only knew what I needed to know to get by. But, out there, I learned all kinds of things. How to move without being seen, how to kill a man in one move-" Stryver shifted. "-how to _trick _people.."

"Time well spent?"

Jenny grinned. "I'd say so."

"I want the thumb print." The thug moved even closer and Jenny looked scared. "Here," she said, pulling the phone out of her pocket. "It's outside, just press send."

Stryver looked at the phone suspiciously, before clicking send. A moment later there was a knock at the door, and the boy entered, looking around fearfully before spotting Jenny and running to her, giving her the second envelope. "Thanks," she said, giving him a warm smile. He ran out again, looking as though he was about to wet himself.

Stryver checked the envelope before his lips formed a thin smile. "It would've been a lot easier if you had just given me the thumb print at the start.. we need to tie up all loose ends and, even in those clothes, no one's going to miss you."

"Hm." Jenny grinned, feeling increasingly angry that this man thought he was in charge. She didn't need thugs around her to keep her safe. "But every cop in the city is missing _him_." She nodded towards the television behind the bar, where the congressman's photograph was being displayed.

Stryver looked at it, before turning back to Jenny, confused. "No one will look here for him."

"Oh, I don't know. You _did _just use his phone."

At that moment a screech echoed outside as a fleet of cop cars pulled up. Jenny grinned at Stryver's expression, full of shock and fright, before grabbing his head and violently cracking it against the table. He collapsed, dazed. She turned, grabbing the thug's gun, hitting him once more for good measure. Stryver was frozen. She knelt next to him, shooting the three thugs that were stupid enough to draw their weapons. The cops were banging at the door. Moving her lips to Stryver's ear she whispered, "I know I've been gone a long time, but I think people like you need to remember what I was like eight years ago."

She shot the last man, leaving Stryver whimpering against a table leg. She ran for the door, reaching for it just as the first cop kicked his way in. He was young, almost too young to be a cop. Jenny screamed, feigning panic, pointed into the room and began babbling about guys with guns.

"It's-it's okay miss. Who are you?" the cop said, trying to grab her shoulders to calm her. _She looks familiar.._

She shook out of his grip. "I'm just a waitress!"

"Okay, okay. Just stay here." He drew his weapon and ran into the bar. Jenny smiled, running down the steps past the cops and turning into the alleyway to the right. She heard commotion behind her and saw Stryver and two thugs running from the back of the bar. They reached the manhole and removed the cover, jumping inside. For a second she was stunned. _Where the hell are they going?_ Curiosity got the better of her and she climbed down into the sewer. There was no sign of the men, and she suddenly felt incredibly stupid for climbing down with no weapons. She turned to go back before she heard a voice shout, "Manhole!"

_Fuck_.. She turned, running into the dark maze of the sewers.

* * *

Gordon climbed into the sewer, hearing distant splashes of someone running in the three inches of water. He heard people descending behind him, so moved on, slowly. He had barely made it five feet when a large explosion shook the walls behind him. Coughing he dived around a corner, missing the worst of the blast. He had no choice but to continue. He didn't hear the men creeping up behind him, but he felt the blow to his head. Gordon crashed to the floor, tasting blood. He was dragged through the tunnels, only vaguely aware of what was happening.

* * *

Jenny heard the explosion behind her, realising how close she was to being caught up in the explosion herself. She descended deeper and saw work crews of muscular men wielding large drills and jackhammers, working the walls and ceiling of the larger tunnels. Some of the men are armed mercenaries, overseeing gangs of homeless street kids. They stared as she walked past warily, between two waterfalls, into a large chamber, with a river flowing through the centre. A tall figure stood with his back to her. He was bare from the waist up and Jenny gasped at the crooked scar running up his spine to his neck. She heard his breathing through his mask, a quiet rasping sound.

"I seem to recall you saying I would never see Rachel Dawes again. You _assured _me." He turned to face her.

"I did. But I'm not Rachel Dawes." She tried to keep her voice steady, looking for a way out.

"_That _I discovered not long after arriving in Gotham. You've made quite a name for yourself."

"Hmm. I didn't mean to end up here-" She noticed the lead mercenary out of the corner of her eye, looking her up and down. She felt her jaw clench.

"But you did.

"Yes. I did. But I kept my word. I haven't told anyone that you're here."

Bane chuckled, but before he could say anything two thugs entered, dragging a man between them. Jenny realised, with a gasp, that it was Commissioner Gordon. He seemed dazed, but looked around, his eyes fixed on Jenny and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why are you here?" Bane asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Answer him!" One of the thugs shouted, shaking Gordon roughly.

"I'm asking _you_." The thug looked at him, his eyes wide.

"I- It's the police commissioner."

"And you brought him down _here_." Jenny watched the altercation, feeling the tension rise. She wanted to escape but knew she wouldn't get far. These people knew the tunnels better than her.

"We didn't know what else to do."

"You panicked. And your weakness cost three lives."

"No, he's alone-" Bane stepped forward, quick as lightning, and snapped the thug's neck. The second thug involuntarily whimpered. "Search him," Bane said, "and then I will kill you."

Jenny backed up, realising the danger that she had walked into. The thug bent down, roughly turning out the commissioner's jacket with shaking hands. He handed a folded up pile of paper to Bane who opened it and began reading. The thug took Gordon's badge and gun, turning away to put them down. Gordon, noticing the opportunity, rolled into the flowing water. Shots rang out and Jenny ran forward.

"_No_!" she yelled, watching Gordon disappear into the tunnel. Had they shot him? She didn't know. The thug turned to Bane.

"He's dead."

Bane looked up from the papers. "Then show me his body."

"The water runs to any one of the outflows.. we'll never find him."

Bane turned to the lead mercenary. "Give me your GPS." He handed it over with a thin smirk, obviously knowing what was about to happen. Bane tucked the GPS into the thug's pocket and zipped up his jacket like a protective mother. He pointed into the tunnel.

"Follow him."

The thug looked confused. "Follow him?" The lead mercenary grinned. Bane shot the thug, kicking him into the tunnel. He turned to the mercenary.

"Track him. Make sure both bodies will not be found. Then brick up the south tunnel."

Jenny watched them, her heart pounding in her chest, realising she was about to be killed too. With a moment's hesitation she ran, jumping into the water and letting the current take her into the tunnel. She heard shots behind her and tucked in her limbs as much as possible, choking on the water that was filling her mouth. She held her breath as much as she could, being hit against the brick walls of the tunnel. When she finally saw light it was the grey evening sky of Gotham. The body of the thug was caught against the metal fence of the tunnel, which had a large hole blown in the bottom. She squeezed through looking for Gordon. He wasn't there. Panicking she looked around, even kneeling next to the river that led into the sea next to the tunnel, wondering if he had fallen straight in. There was no sign of him. She realised that Bane's men would probably be behind her, or in front of her, now that they had a GPS. She picked herself up, her entre body feeling battered and bruised. Cursing her luck she began her journey home, in sopping wet clothes, noting to stay away from the more popular areas of the Narrows.

* * *

Bruce looked at the back of the young man's head, as though that would tell him something. Alfred had informed him that a young police officer, Blake, had requested to speak to him, threatening him with a warrant in the investigation of Harvey Dent's death if he refused. The cop was now sat on the couch and, although Bruce could not see his expression, he knew the cop didn't feel comfortable in a manor like his. He was drumming his fingers on his knee nervously. Bruce made his presence known, limping into the room and to the window, pouring himself a drink, wondering why the cop was visiting him, especially on a Saturday.

"What can I do for you, officer?"

"Commissioner Gordon's been shot."

Bruce turned to face him. He hadn't seen Gordon, apart from on the news, for a long time. He wasn't really acquainted with him. Batman, on the other hand.. "I'm sorry to hear that-"

"He was chasing men through a sewer. When I pulled him out he was babbling about some underground army, and a masked man called 'Bane'."

Why was he telling Bruce this? "Shouldn't you talk to your superior officers about this?"

"I did. They wouldn't listen. He needs you.. He needs the Batman."

Bruce tried not to let his shock become apparent. He put down his drink. "If Gordon thinks that-"

"Gordon doesn't know, or care, who you are." He seemed to be gathering courage. "But we've met before. When I was a kid. At the orphanage.. my mom died when I was small. Car accident, I don't really remember it. But a couple of years later my dad was shot over a gambling debt. I remember that.." He locked eyes with Bruce. "Not a lot of people who what it feels like, do they? To be angry. In your _bones_. People understand, foster parents understand. For a while. Then they expect the angry kid to do what he knows he can never do. To move on. To forget. So they stopped understanding and sent the angry kid to a boys' home- St. Swithin's. Used to be funded by the Wayne Foundation. See, I figured it out too late. You have to hide the anger. Like putting on a mask. You showed up one day in a cool car, pretty girl on your arm. We were so excited. I mean, Bruce Wayne: billionaire _orphan_? We made up stories about you. And to the other kids, that's all they were- stories. But as soon as I saw you, I _knew_. I'd seen that look on your face. The same one I taught myself-"

"What do you want?" Bruce asked quietly.

"I don't know why you took the fall for Dent's murder, but I'm still a believer in the Batman, even if you're not." He stood up to leave. "Gordon said something else too," he looked at Bruce again. "He said he saw Jennifer Aiken." Bruce's eyes flicked up to meet Blake's. What was Aiken doing with an underground army? "Did she really kill Dent? Did you take the fall for her?" Bruce sighed. He saw himself in this officer. Pouring another glass he gave it to Blake.

"Sit down," he said, waiting for Blake to do so. "Do you know why Aiken was in Arkham to begin with?"

"She killed her parents."

"She didn't. Jacob Penrose did- the director of Arkham. He pinned the murders on Aiken. She found the bodies and cracked. Couldn't remember what happened, so it was easy to say that she did it. She believed she _had _done it. Penrose had wiped her from the database. Her real name, her old life, all of it. The Joker and Crane.. they manipulated Jennifer. Used her to help them escape, made her believe that what she was doing wasn't wrong. She was seen as a criminal.. but in my eyes she never was one. When Crane was sent to Blackgate Jennifer became closer to the Joker. I believe they lived together. She tried to stop him on several occassions.. but her sightings at the scenes of the crimes were seen as proof that she was in on what the Joker was doing. She helped me catch him, in the end. What happened with Dent," he paused, wondering how much Blake should know. "All you need to know is that neither me nor Jennifer killed him. We took the fall, yes. But we didn't kill him."

Blake was lost in thought for a few moments, before nodding. "I believe you.. why doesn't Jennifer try to clear her name?"

Bruce thought about it. "I think she believes that she deserves it. She did a lot of bad things, maybe she sees this as her punishment."

"Jennifer Aiken isn't her real name?" Blake asked, curiously.

"No."

"What is?"

"Selina. Selina Kyle. She doesn't use it though."

Blake nodded and stood back up, turning to leave. Bruce suddenly remembered something. "Why did you say your orphanage used to be funded by the Wayne Foundation?"

"Because the money stopped. Might be time to get some fresh air and start paying attention to the details. Some of those details could use your help." He left Bruce, who was feeling guilty and ashamed that he had let things get so bad.

"You check that name, 'Bane'?" Bruce asked, as they watched Blake leave.

"Ran it through some databases. He's a mercenary. No other known name. Never been seen or photographed without a mask. He and his men were behind a coup in West Africa that secured mining operations for our friend John Daggett."

"Now Daggett's brought them here?" Bruce had never liked him.

"It would seem so. I'll keep digging."

"Why did the Wayne Foundation stop funding boys' homes in the city?"

Alfred gave a grim smile. "The Foundation is funded from the profits of Wayne Enterprises... There have to _be _some."

"Time to talk to Mr. Fox, I think."

Alfred nodded. "I'll get him on the phone -"

"No," Bruce interrupted, coming to a decision. "Do we still have any cars around the place?"

Alfred's face lit up in disbelief. "One or two."

"And I need an appointment at the hospital. About my leg."

"Which hospital, sir?"

"Whichever one Jim Gordon's in." Alfred wasn't happy about that part.

* * *

**A/N:** Ooft, I love Blake's little monologue. Two chapters in one day? Aren't you lucky ;) Thank for all the follows, favourites and reviews! Hope you enjoyed reading this. Please review when you've finished, it really helps me when I'm writing, and I love hearing from you guys :)

**nekochan354:** Aw thank you :D And this chapter answers your question ;)

**TC Stark:** How's this for a quick update? ;P Haha, I hate Daggett. Such a perverse weirdo. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	4. Chapter 4

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Four**

A knock at the door woke her up. She had no idea how long she had slept for, but her body felt just as bruised when she woke. The current of the water in the tunnels had been strong- strong enough to slam her against the walls as it carried her to the mouth of the tunnel. She had bruises on her torso, and a huge purple one on her arm. She stood, wondering what the hell was going on. Word had started to spread that she had returned to Gotham, she could thank Mike Engel for that, and the people at the bar, and probably Bruce Wayne after their little meeting in his manor. Still, no one knew where she was staying.. except Daggett. She cursed. If he had found out what had happened at the bar then he was probably furious enough to reveal her address. She'd have to move as soon as possible. If the cops heard where she was staying she was done for. She grabbed a t-shirt and approached the door slowly, hearing another knock. Looking into the peephole she saw the young officer from the night before. The one that had told her to stay where she was while he went inside.

She cursed, wondering if he was alone. She could escape through a window. But if he was there with SWAT teams then they'd no doubtedly have the place surrounded.. She took a deep breath, preparing to strike if he tried anything, and opened the door.

* * *

Blake shifted his weight uncomfortably. He had driven straight to the Narrows after visiting Wayne that morning. He had been careful to wear civilian clothes, he knew exactly what kind of treatment he would receive if he walked around dressed as a cop. It hadn't taken long before he'd coaxed an aproximate address from a drunk in a rundown bar, not far from the one he had been to the night before. He didn't know why he was going to see her. Not exactly why, anyway. Bruce had said she was innocent, surely she could use some help? He could at least see if Bruce's story was true. He was under no illusions, though. His gun was tucked into his trousers, ready to use if it turned out that Aiken really was the cold-blooded maniac that everyone seemed to think she was. He heard a click and held his breath as the door opened. For a second he was shocked. It was the woman from the bar. He should've known. He'd definitely recognised her last night. Blake tried not to smile. He'd been inches from Jennifer Aiken, an entire SWAT team had been inches from Jennifer Aiken, and everyone was too focused on the guys in the bar to realise it was her. She watched him, her green eyes moving up and down his frame, presumably looking for weapons. He knew she recognised him too.

"Uh, miss Aiken?" he asked, unsure of what to say now he was there. Her eyes moved back to his face and she waited for what he was going to say next. He racked his brain before realising what he should do. "Batman sent me." Her eyebrows rose and her mouth opened slightly in shock.

"Come in," she said. He nodded, sliding past her into the small aparment. He turned and watched her lock the door carefully before she faced him.

"What do you mean, 'Batman sent you'?"

"I mean he- he told me that you're innocent. He told me that you and he took the fall for Dent's death."

She paused. "Did he tell you what really happened that night with Dent?"

"No."

She nodded, moving to the kitchen. "Do you want a drink?"

"Uh, I'm fine thank you."

She poured herself a glass of lemonade and took a sip while she watched him. He was stood in the centre of the room, looking out of place. Her mouth curled slightly in amusement. "You can sit down." He sat, in the same awkward and nervous way that he had at Wayne Manor. "You've seen the Batman? You've really seen him?"

He looked at her expression, realising that she looked disbelieving and apprehensive. "Yeah, this morning."

Jenny gave a small relieved laugh before sitting on the couch. "I thought he was dead."

She was wearing shorts, so Blake saw her legs clearly as she sat herself down. They were covered in bruises and scars, but he decided not to ask about them. "You haven't seen him since you came back?"

"No. Not since the night that Dent died. He was hanging up his cape."

"And you didn't know who he really was?"

"No." They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"He told me all about you." Blake said, breaking the silence. Jenny looked at him, her eyes narrowing. Blake noticed that they were a dazzling green.

"What do you mean?"

"He told me everything. What happened with Penrose, your real name-"

"He told you my real name? _Why_? You're a cop! He shouldn't have told you anything!"

"No, he-" John paused, wondering how to word it. "I worked out who he really was. I guess he figured that if I wanted to turn him in I would've done it already. He figured he could trust me."

* * *

Jenny didn't know what to think. Batman had told this man, this _cop_, everything. Did he really trust him this much? And what about Jenny? He must've known that she was back, why hadn't he come to find her? To tell her that everything was going to be okay? She was shaking with anger. The cop was watching her, almost apprehensively, as though he thought she was going to attack him at any moment.

"Who is the Batman?" she said, struggling to stay calm.

"I- I don't think I should tell you. It's his secret."

"You mean like all that stuff about me was _my _secret? That didn't stop him from telling you, did it?"

"You shouldn't be angry, this clears your name.. more or less. You didn't kill Dent, you weren't working with the Joker. This is a good thing."

"I've spent the last eight years on the run. If I knew that I could've just found a rookie cop, told them everything, and been fine, don't you think I would've done it?"

"Batman said you felt like you deserved it. The whole punishment thing."

Jenny didn't know what to say to that, so she sipped her drink in a morose silence. "What's your name?" she asked finally.

"John Blake," he answered.

"Hm. Why are you here, John?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just, I heard what Batman had to say this morning and I- wanted to see if it was true." He paused. "You know, miss, you're not alone now. I know I'm just a rookie cop, but I could help you out. I could tell people the truth-"

"No," Jenny said, too quickly. "No one will believe you. They've had eight years to think about everything that happened. This city _hates _me. You can't change that.. but thank you." She gave him a small smile, and he smiled back. She could see something in his eyes, it looked suspiciously like pity. She sighed, putting down her drink. "I have a question."

"Sure."

"Last night, I went into the sewers. I saw Commissioner Gordon, but when I followed him out, he'd disappeared."

"You were really down there?" Blake asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Do you know what happened to Gordon or-"

"He was shot. He's in the hospital now."

Jenny felt her stomach clench. She should've done something more. "Will he be okay?"

"Looks like it. I mean, he's still in critical condition, and he looks like hell to be honest. He said your name, when I found him."

"Yeah, he saw me."

"Do you know who shot him?"

Jenny hesitated. Bane was dangerous, she'd seen proof of that on the plane, and last night. He wouldn't stop to think about it if he needed to kill her. He'd just do it, and probably make it painful for her. "No," she lied. "I didn't see much. It was dark."

Blake sighed. "I know something's going on down there. Everyone seems on edge lately, like something's going to happen." Jenny knew what he meant. She'd felt the same atmosphere before the riot at Arkham that allowed her, the Joker, and Jonathan to escape.

"I know," she said quietly, "I'd be careful. Coming to the Narrows is risky enough."

He nodded. "Yeah.. I better go."

They both stood and he held his hand out awkwardly. Jenny shook it, feeling strange conforming to such a formality. "It was nice talking to you, miss."

"You too, John." She showed him out, feeling conflicting emotions. Batman was alive. He was in Gotham, and was still convinced of her innocence. Why hadn't he been to see her? Had he been in Gotham for the full eight years? Had he put his cape and cowl back on when she returned? She wished she had some way of contacting him, but she didn't have a clue where to start.

* * *

Bruce lowered himself from the hospital window. Today had been the first day he'd shown his face in public for years. The doctor he'd just visited had told him that he had no cartillage in his knees- he was already planning on asking Fox what he could do about that. He'd visited Fox that morning, who told him about the declining profits of Wayne Enterprises. Fox had also informed him that Daggett was trying to shoulder his way into the company, buying shares. That hadn't pleased him. Daggett's name had already cropped up in Alfred's research on the masked man, Bane. Lucius had then shown him the equipment left over from Applied Sciences. New vehicles, the Bat.. it was all tempting. Not to mention the inspiring visit of Blake, and the return of Jennifer. He dropped to the third floor and entered the room through the window, feet first. He was wearing a ski mask, so didn't have to worry about being recognised. The sight shocked him slightly. Gordon looked fifty years older than he had done the last time Bruce had seen him. He was on his side, with an oxygen mask to help his breathing. Gordon's eyes flickered open and he spoke in a weak, hoarse voice.

"We were in this together. Then you were gone-"

"Batman wasn't needed anymore. We won. Jennifer needed to get away."

"Built on a lie. Our lie. The three of us know.." he stopped, trying to get his breath. "Now there's evil rising from where we tried to bury it. The Batman has to come back. Jennifer has to get away from Bane."

"What if he doesn't exist anymore? What if Jennifer doesn't want any part of this?" Bruce asked, quietly.

"Batman.. must exist. He must. He has to find Jennifer."

* * *

Jenny finished shoving the last of her items into her bag, preparing to leave the small apartment. She couldn't take any risks now. If one rookie cop had found her address she knew it was only a matter of time before the entire Gotham police department was kicking down the door. Or worse yet, Bane. She shuddered, grabbing her bag and leaving the bedroom.

"_Holy fuck_!" she swore, dropping her bag in shock. The Batman stood in the middle of the room, like a giant black monolith. She stood staring at him, her mouth agape.

"I told you not to come back," he said, his voice as raspy and gravelly as ever.

"Wow. Nice to see you too," Jenny said, walking forwards. "You could've visited me, when you heard I was back."

"I didn't know where you were."

She scoffed, "John Blake managed to figure it out."

Batman's eyes widened. "He came to see you?"

"Yeah. Told me what you'd said."

"Did he-"

"He didn't tell me who you are, if that's what you're worrying about. But he should've. You had no right telling him all that stuff."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"So why are you here now?"

"Gordon saw you in the sewers. He was talking about 'Bane'. What do you know about him?"

"Not much," Jenny admitted. "He's dangerous. He kills without thinking about it."

"Do you know why he's in Gotham?"

"No."

"Our secret is going to be discovered."

"About time, isn't it?"

"If the truth about Dent is revealed, everything Gordon has done for the past eight years will be undone. The Dent Act.. hundreds of criminals back on the streets."

Jenny realised what that could mean. "What about criminals before the Dent Act? Could they be released too?"

Batman paused. "I know what you're thinking. Crane belongs behind bars."

"So do I."

"You're innocent."

"No, I'm not! Why do you keep saying that? I killed people when I escaped, and afterwards. The morning after the escape I killed a guy in an alley. I could've knocked him unconscious, but I killed him. I'm no better than the Joker, or Crane, or Bane, or anyone in Blackgate or Arkham. The only difference is I haven't been caught yet!"

Batman watched her outburst, hardly moving at all. "I visited Gordon. He said I have to come back."

"So why don't you? With Bane here the city is going to need you."

"I want you back too."

Jenny froze. "You- I wasn't a fucking vigilante. I was one of the people that you were trying to capture!"

"Gordon wants you back too."

"That makes no sense. He was against me 'till the end. What could I do?"

"You could help. Spy on Daggett, go undercover with Bane-"

"No way." Jenny put in. "I'm not going near that guy."

"Just-" Batman sighed, "Just think about it. Do what you can. Please?"

Jenny realised how tired he seemed compared to how he had looked last time. "Fine. I'll _think _about it."

It was then that he noticed her bags. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah. It's not safe here any more."

"There's a place on the other side of the Narrows. An old building. Barton street."

"Thanks," Jenny said, quietly. "Does this mean you can just drop in whenever you like?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Batman smiled. "I'll see you soon." With that, he left through the front door. Jenny watched him go, before gathering her bags and leaving, remembering how similar it felt when she had left the Joker's apartment all those years ago.

* * *

**A/N: **Very dialogue based, but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I love John Blake, one of the best parts of the amazing-ness that is The Dark Knight Rises. As always, thanks so much for reading and following/favouriting/reviewing. And please continue to review when you've finished. I love reading what you guys like/dislike about this, it really helps me when I'm writing :) I'm so glad the Selina Kyle part shocked you all mwuhahaha, I've known from the start that it was going to be her real name, and was going to drag it out a bit longer, but with the Catwoman scenes being taken over by Jenny you would've figured it out soon :P

**margaret7122: **Thanks so much, and I'm glad it shocked you haha :D

**nekochan354: **Haha I like to keep things interesting ;D

**TC Stark: **Yeah, I like to think that Jonathan is completely destroyed mentally, especially now, after eight years of only Scarecrow for company haha. I love Barsad, he's so dark and willing to do whatever the hell Bane wants him to do. I added the accent at the last minute really. My reasoning was that Jenny was on the run, so had to create secret identities. Being in the middle east for so long would definitely give her a slight change in the way she talks, but I figured it would be a bit more prominent because she was trying to gain an accent- perhaps trying to make out that she had been in the middle east longer than she really had :) It's not a very notable accent, just enough to make her curl her 'r's or something like that :) And I hope you like the quick update haha

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	5. Chapter 5

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Five**

Bruce tested his leg, making sure the carbon-fibre brace was working properly. Fox had given it to him that morning, to help with the slight problem of no cartillage at all in his knees. It was painful at frst, but he was quickly getting used to it. His mind was on other things. Alfred had managed to find more information on Bane. He told him that Bane had been raised in what Alfred had described as 'hell on earth'. He'd also been a member of the League of Shadows, and had been excommunicated. He didn't want to think about how reckless and dangerous Bane must be to have been excommunicated from Ra's al Ghul's group. He'd been too shocked at this information to understand Alfred's emotions when he was telling Bruce all of this, but now that he had tme to think back on it he realised that Alfred was scared. Scared that Bruce was getting back into the world of Batman, and leaving the world of Bruce Wayne. He remembered how happy Alfred had been when he gave up the cape, but now he was uneasy. Worried and downright frightened. He didn't want to watch Bruce destroy himself again, to become obsessed. But right now he didn't have time for that. He had to work out a way to get Jenny back in the game. She could never live a normal life while people thought of her as a murderer, while she thought of herself as a murderer. But she could be invaluable. She could work her way into the inner circle, find out what Bane was up to. She wanted no part of it, but she was one of a handful of people who knew the truth about Harvey Dent. She was one of a handful of people who knew that the Dent Act was based on a lie. He needed her. He wondered for a moment whether he should tell her who he really was, but before he could think of what to do he heard his police radio scanner beep, calling all units to the Gotham Stock Exchange.

* * *

Jenny woke to find a small bag at the foot of her bed. She wondered if she had left it there last night before opening the bag and pulling out what looked like hi-tech glasses. SHe examined them, letting out a slow whistle in admiration. She knew immediatly that the Batman had sent them. She noticed a small scrap of paper and read it, _"This will help you. Find out what you can about Daggett." _She looked at them. They were fully black, with a strap along the back to keep them on her head, and goggle-type glasses at the front that could be pushed up away from her face. Putting them on she grinned as the glass showed her the bedroom in an eerie blue light, giving her information about some of the furniture. She pushed the goggles up, looking in the mirror. They stuck out on top of her head like cat's ears. Pulling them off she thought about what it meant. As much as she wanted to stay unseen she knew that things were heating up in Gotham. Criminals were more active, and Bane was planning something big. She may be a murderer, but Batman would probably need all the help he could get. She knew what she had to do. Smiling she placed the heavy goggles on her bed, and began changing into clothes more suitable for breaking into Daggett's office.

* * *

She knelt next to the safe, using the goggles to examine the lock thoroughly. The whole situation was reminiscent of when she would break into jewelry stores, before the whole Joker thing really kicked off. Breaking into the office had been surprisingly easy, especially with her increasingly developed skills at scaling buildings. There was a television to her left, and she glanced up, hearing the word 'hostage'. She remembered all the times that she would sit and watch the news in the Joker's apartment. It was her only way of knowing what was going on in Gotham, without risking her neck by going out there herself. Sometimes there were updates on where the cops were in their hunt for her and the Joker. It was amusing, to know that the news was basically giving Jenny tips on how to stay one step ahead of the police, without actually realising. The screen showed her a feed of SWAT teams and armed officers surrounding the stock exchange. She glimpsed the rookie cop, Blake, in the background. For one crazy moment she thought they had cornered the Batman, before the voice over explained the situation.

_"This is a live feed of the situation outside the Gotham Stock Exchange. Police were called there just a few moments ago after a text from someone inside the building informed police of an armed group holding them hostage. No one has managed to get inside the building, but there's not believed to be any casualties at this time. The group leader is described as wearing a motorcyle jacket, and may be a courier. It's believed that the man is wearing a mask device over his face, possibly to prevent identification. Hold on, yes, it looks like someone is about to exit the building-_

Jenny watched, the safe momentarily forgotten. The mention of a mask convinced her that this was Bane's work, but for the life of her, she couldn't work out what he would be doing in a stock exchange. The doors of the building opened and the hostages began pouring out, their hands on their heads. Some were crying, and others looked as though they were about to faint. The camera man jumped to the side as something came shooting out of the doors, and Jenny caught a glimpse of several motorbikes driving out of the building and jumping the safety ramps before the feed was cut. She felt her heart pounding. Whatever they were doing in that stock exchange could not be good. She needed the Batman. The screen switched to a helicopter feed, showing a group of motorbikes some of which, the voiceover informed her, had hostaged on the back. She could just make out the courier at the front and knew instantly that it was Bane. The chase disappeared into a tunnel. She wanted to tear her hair out. She wanted to help, to get a car and drive there, shooting the criminals, or blocking off their escape, but she knew that it would only lead to her arrest. Once again she found herself wondering where the Batman was. As if in answer to her question she saw two of the motorbikes exit the tunnel, with the Batman only a few metres behind them. Jenny wanted to yell in relief. Her eyes were glued to the screen as they wound through traffic. A fleet of police cars were chasing them and Jenny realised in horror that they were following _Batman_, not the motorbikes. The Batman clipped one of the bikes, sending the rider flying through the air. The front bike, the one Jenny was sure was driven by Bane, peeled off into the darkness. Her fears were confirmed when the cop cars, instead of following Bane, began surrounding Batman and his bike.

The voiceover continued, _"People aren't revealing much here but all signs suggest that we are seeing the return of the Batman-"_

Jenny watched the Batman ignore the entire police department that was surrounding him and run over to the motorbike rider, who looked unconscious. He reached into his backpack pulling out what looked like a small laptop, before throwing it to the floor. Her breath caught in her throat, watching the huge fleet of police, cars, choppers, and dogs box him in. He seemed to only just notice. With lightning fast accuracy he used his bike to shoot a ramp down from a nearby car transporter, and raced up it, onto the high overpass.

_"We're hearing now that the Batman is headed back downtown-"_

Jenny frowned. What was he doing? He'd be trapped if he came downtown. The feed cut once more. The news helicopter would find it hard to navigate through the downtown buildings. Turning her attention back to the safe she gave the lock a few turns, wondering if safes were getting easier to crack because they were made badly or because she was getting better at it. The door swung open, revealing an empty space. She frowned, confused. Why have a safe if you didn't put anything in it? She had thought that if there was anything she, or Batman, could use against Daggett it would be in here. She wondered what Batman wanted with Daggett anyway. He didn't know that Dagget had blackmailed Jenny into stealing Bruce Wayne's fingerprints.. and outward appearances showed Daggett to be a civilised, respected man. She heard voices through the door to her left and froze.

"Bane says the Batman interfered, but the task was accomplished."

"What about the men they arrested?"

"He says, and I quote, they would die before talking."

"Where does he find these guys?"

Jenny recognised the voices immediately as Daggett and his pet monkey Stryver. She hid next to the door, waiting for one of them to enter. The door swung open.

"Open the champagne," Daggett said, entering. "And can we get some girls in here?"

"Careful what you wish for," Jenny said. Dagget spun around but Jenny was too quick for him. She grabbed him, throwing him against the wall. He reached for his gun but Jenny pinned his wrist against the wall with her foot. He whimpered slightly at the pain. She pulled the gun out of his grasp, turning it over in one hand with mock curiosity.

"You dumb bitch," he spluttered. "Dumb to show up here tonight."

"I want to know; why did you want Wayne's prints?"

"'I want' never gets," Dagget grinned. Jenny heard a click, and felt the cold, hard metal of a gun pressed against her head. Then it moved, brushing her hair out of the way as it moved past her ear. Jenny lowered her leg slowly, turning to see Stryver looking at her appreciatively.

"Nice outfit-" he started, before Jenny kicked him in the groin and used the edge of her fist to break his nose. He stumbled backwards, falling into a table. She turned back to Daggett.

"Why did you need his prints?" She growled, louder. She was quickly losing patience. The door slammed open and a man ran in, armed to the teeth. Jenny grabbed Daggett, holding him in front of her while she kicked out a window behind her. She looked out, before grinning and jumping, taking Daggett with her. He screamed as they fell.. ten feet, landing on a window cleaning platform. She cut the rope and couldn't help but smirk at Daggett's face as the platform plunged, gaining speed until it crashed onto the flat roof. She threw Daggett out onto the roof and stepped over him.

"Why did you do it? What does Batman want with you?"

Daggett laughed. "What does Batman want with _you_? He obviously gave you those things," he nodded to the glasses. "Scum like you wouldn't be able to afford them any other way. You're real close, aren't you? Aiken and Batman. Do you give him _special favours_? Huh? And he gives you gifts in return? Is that how the special relationship started all those years ago?" Jenny snarled, kicking Daggett as hard as she could in the face. Dark figures emerged from fire exits, ladders, corners. She watched as they approached, more appearing every second. She noticed the attire, and the scarves below their mouths. Bane's men. Her blood ran cold. She couldn't fight them alone. She grabbed Daggett by the hair, holding a knife up to his throat. One of the men screwed a silencer onto his gun as he strolled forwards.

"Stay back!" she said, turning, trying to take them all in. "I'm not bluffing!"

"They know," a voice said to her left. "They just don't care."

As the Mercenary with the silencer looked around for the source of the voice, Jenny leaped forward and grabbed his gun. Batman dropped into the middle of the fray, fighting back mercenaries at Jenny's back - she fired at one, clipping him, and he dropped, giving a strangled yell. She spun aiming at another's head - and Batman pulled her arm down, forcing her to miss the mercenary. Batman took him out with a kick.

"No guns. No killing," he said, spinning to punch another man before he could attack them.

"Are you _kidding _me?" Jenny asked breathlessly, fighting two men at once. Was now really the time to focus on morality? More mercenaries entered through one of the fire exits and Jenny groaned in despair. Her entire body was already aching, she couldn't keep it up much longer. Batman ran to the edge of the roof.

"Come on!" he shouted, jumping down. She ran after him, pausing at the edge and looking down. A huge black shape filled the alleyway, it looked like a futuristic car. She jumped down landing hard, and slid in through the roof. The canopy hissed shut as bullets hit against the metal. An engine roared to life and Jenny gripped her seat as the vehicle rose. She realised it was a helicopter of some sort. They rose above the flat roof and Jenny looked out to see Bane walking across the roof, looking up to them. He was holding his brace and walking with a slight swagger. His eyes narrowed when he locked eyes with Jenny, and she quickly moved back from the window as Bane watched them soar off into the darkness.

He landed on a roof, a few buildings over from where she was living, and she jumped out. Batman followed her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Jenny asked, watching him.

"I sent you to spy on Daggett. I knew he was linked to Bane. I should've known that Bane's men would be there.."

"Bullshit. You couldn't have known that," she said. Then she smiled. "Besides, it felt good to break into a safe again."

Batman couldn't help but give a small laugh at that. "Did you find anything?"

"No.. but there's something," she wondered if it meant anything. "I broke into Wayne Manor, on Thursday night. Daggett had blackmailed me into taking his fingerprints."

"Why did he want Wayne's fingerprints?" Batman asked, already knowing that Jenny had taken them.

"I didn't ask. But it can't be anything good.. especially if he's working with Bane. And he did seem pretty interested in what was happening at the stock market." Batman considered this. He turned back to the Bat and began to climb in. "Batman?" Jenny asked. He turned his head. "Thanks for the glasses."

"You're welcome," he said, before getting into the Bat and flying away.

* * *

When she got back to her apartment she cursed herself, realising she'd left her jacket at the apartment on Ridge Avenue. In her haste to leave she'd forgotten it. The last thing she needed was someone finding it, working out it was hers and knowing that she had been living in an abandoned apartment. If they knew _that_, then the cops would search every abandoned apartment in the Narrows, meaning she'd be done for. She snuck back to Ridge Avenue, keeping to the shadows and freezing whenever she heard a voice. By the time she reached the building it was after midnight, meaning the Narrows had come alive. She crept up to the apartment and was shocked to see John Blake stood next to the door. He turned his head and quickly stood straighter when he saw her appear at the end of the corridor. She ran forward, knowing it was a death sentence for him to be found there.

"What are you _doing _here?" she hissed, quickly opening the door and pushing him inside.

"You said you were in the sewer tunnels, the night that Gordon was shot. I need to know what you saw."

"I told you I didn't see anything." she said, finding her jacket on the couch. She shrugged it on, waiting for Blake to speak.

"Look, I understand if you don't want to get involved, but-"

"Blake. I didn't see _anything_. I don't know what Bane's doing, but it's nothing good. That's all I can tell you."

He sighed, nodding. "Okay."

"Did you really have to come all the way out here to ask me that? Don't you realise how dangerous that is?"

"Of course I do. I just.. Bane was at the stock exchange today. He could've completely destroyed the whole economy, but he didn't. He just plugged a USB in a computer and left. I don't understand what his endgame is. I thought that you might have some idea."

"Because I'm a criminal?"

"Because you're the only criminal I can actually talk to. I can't wander the streets and ask random people, can I?"

"So you think that, because you know my life story, you can drop by whenever you want?"

He looked flustered. "No. No, that's not what I meant. I just thought that you cared about Gordon. He kept your lie. I don't know what happened with Dent, but I know that you took the fall. That makes you a decent person in my book, and right now I need all the decent people I can get."

"Look," Jenny said, moving forwards. "You seem like a good guy, but you're going to learn, sooner or later, that some things can't be fixed. Nothing's black and white. Bane isn't your average villain. He's _dangerous_. You may be a cop, but if I were you I'd stay away."

Blake made eye contact with her and seemed to ponder something before he said, "Yeah. Thanks for your help." He moved to the door.

"Oh, and Blake? I don't live here anymore so if you don't want to get murdered in an alleyway I suggest you don't come here again." She gave him a small smile and he nodded before leaving.

* * *

Blake climbed into his car, giving the building one last look before he drove away. He didn't have a clue what to do next. It seemed that in the entire city only Bruce Wayne, Jennifer Aiken and Jim Gordon weren't completely corrupt. He'd joined the force to do good, not to get payed off and turn a blind eye whenever a criminal wanted something doing. Once again he'd gone to Jennifer, but once again he didn't know why. He thought of her green eyes, her bruised legs and the way she seemed to stand. As though she'd been through a lifetime of pain and misery. He understood what Bruce had meant. She was innocent, but didn't seem to think she was. She seemed to hate herself, living in exile because she thought that was all she deserved. It was true, though, that she couldn't have a normal life even if she felt she deserved one. She was still one of the most hated people in Gotham, who was still on the streets. Her and Batman seemed to be the two people that everyone pinned their hate onto. The stock exchange had proved that. When the robbers on the bikes had driven away the cop in the passenger seat had told him to stay on the Batman.

"What about the armed robbers?" he'd asked incredulously.

"What do you care about more? Getting a few robbers or one of the bastards who killed Harvey Dent?"

Blake sighed as he drove out of the Narrows. The whole city was blind. They should be chasing Bane, not Aiken and Batman.

"You don't think I have it in me?" Bruce asked, as he put away his Bat suit. Alfred had wasted no time in telling him that he shouldn't become Batman again. He said he'd seen his 'merry chase' on the news, and had pointed out that no good would come of it.

"You don't. You were chased by a bloated police force. What about when you come up against him?" Alfred asked, pointing to a computer screen behind Bruce. It showed CCTV footage of Bane fighting the security in the stock exchange lobby. "What then?"

"I'll fight harder. I always do."

"When you had something to fight for. What are you fighting for now?" He moved to the screen. "Take a good look. At his speed, his _ferocity_. I see the power of belief, of the fanatic. The League of Shadows resurgent."

"You said he was excommunicated."

"By Ra's al Ghul. Who leads them now?"

"Ra's al Ghul _was _the League of Shadows. Bane is just a mercenary, and I have to find out what he's up to." He pulled out the USB that he had taken from the laptop of one of the motorbike riders and inserted it into the computer. Text scrolled across the screen. "Traces of code.."

A thumb print appeared.

Alfred moved closer. "Is that..?"

"Mine. Courtesy of Jenny."

"That girl should not have come back to Gotham. And now you're dragging her even further into this mess-"

"Get this to Fox," Bruce interrupted him, handing him the USB. "He can crack the code, tell us what trades they were executing."

Alfred sighed. "I'll get this to Mr Fox, but no more.. I won't bury you. I've buried enough members of the Wayne family." Bruce watched as tears formed in Alfred's eyes, and his voice shook.

"You'd abandon me?" Bruce asked, quietly.

"You're slipping, Master Wayne, and you're taking people down with you. Leaving is all I have to make you understand: you aren't Batman anymore- you have to find another way. You used to talk about finishing, about life beyond this awful cave-"

"Rachel died knowing we'd decided to be together. That was my life beyond this cave and.. I can't move on. I _can't_. She couldn't."

Alfred looked away. "What if I told you that she had? That she wasn't going to make a life with you, because she'd already moved on? What if she'd written a letter? Explaining that she'd chosen Harvey Dent over you?"

Bruce looked at him, shocked. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because I have to make you understand. "

"You're lying."

"Because you're as precious to me as you were to your own mother and father. I swore to them that I would protect you, and I _haven't_."

"You're lying!" Bruce turned away, furious. How could Alfred do something like this? He'd loved Rachel, and she'd loved him too. "How dare you use Rachel to stop me!"

"I'm using the truth, Master Wayne. Perhaps it's time to let the truth have its day. I'm sorry. I know what this means-"

"What _does _it mean, Alfred?"

"It means your hatred. It means losing the person I've cared for ever since I heard his first cries echo through this house. But it also means saving your life. And _that _is more important."

Bruce looked at him, furious but devastated that Alfred meant every word that he said. He summoned the words that he needed to say, and said them in a quiet, defeated voice.

"Goodbye, Alfred."

Alfred answered, in a voice just as small. "Goodbye, Bruce."

* * *

**A/N: **D'aww, poor Alfred :( I start university tomorrow, so I'm guessing I'm not gonna have as much time to work on this story. Updates will probably be a bit less frequent, but I'm definitely aiming for one or two chapters a week. It'll increase the tension between chapters ;) Thanks to everyone that's sticking with this story, and I promise I'll get the chapters out as quick as I can :) Please, pretty please, review when you've finished. Thanks!

**bnhullova: **Thanks so much! :)

**TC Stark: **Haha, eight years of Scarecrow would definitely addle your head a bit :') He's so manipulative, so Crane's definitely going to have a different mindset when he sees Jenny again. And absolutely! I'm excited to write the Crane chapters, because it's gonna be so interesting to see how they interact after all the changes. Thanks for reviewing :3

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	6. Chapter 6

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Six**

Crane's ears pricked up as a group of prisoners talked o his left. He had no interest in idle prison chit-chat, but he had heard Aiken's name and wanted to know what had happened.

"Bill said the masked man knows how to get to Batman," one of the prisoners was saying. "He said Batman will probably be gone by the end of the week."

"About time," another snarled. "It's because of him that I'm in here."

"What'll happen to Aiken? I heard she's working with Bane," one put in.

"Nah, nah. She's working with the Batman. Bane'll kill her too."

"How'd she get with the Batman anyhow?" One of the thugs turned and noticed Crane. "Hey, crow!" Crane narrowed his eyes and turned his head to look at them. "Didn't you used to live with Aiken? Bet you had a good time, huh? I've seen her photo." The prisoners jeered, and Crane continued to glare at the man who was speaking. "Too bad you're in here, huh? She's fucking the Batman now."

Crane stared at him, but didn't say anything. He knew what Jenny was like now.. he'd never seen her with the Joker in _that_ manner, but there were signs. Scarecrow reminded him of various ocassions when the Joker and Aiken had looked at each other as though something was going on between them. Crane hadn't believed it at first, but over time he had started to agree. Now his perception of Jennifer had completely changed from how it was before he'd been arrested. With Scarecrow's manipulation Crane was now convinced that Jenny had been trying to mess with his head. He was sure she had been fucking the Joker, and now it didn't surprise him that she was probably fucking the Batman too. It still angered him to hear the other prisoners talk about her. He clenched his fists, ignoring the thugs. He was certain that one day he and Scarecrow would be released, and when that day came they would track down Aiken and give her a taste of her own medicine.

* * *

Bruce opened the door and greeted Lucius as he entered to get out of the rain. He looked surprised.

"Answering your own door?"

"Yeah, could you decode it?" Bruce asked, anxious to know what Bane was doing for Daggett.

"I don't have to," Lucius answered, handing Bruce a newspaper. The headline read: BATMAN MASTERMINDS STOCK RAID?

Wayne scanned the article, realising what his prints had been used for.

"It seems you made a series of large put options on the futures exchange. Verified by thumb print. The options expired at midnight last night.. we may be able to prove fraud in the long term but, for now.. you're broke. And Wayne Enterprises is falling into the hands of John Daggett."

Bruce cursed, throwing the newspaper aside. So Daggett had brought a monster like Bane to Gotham, to take control of his company? How could Daggett be sto stupid? Bruce didn't know much about Bane, but he knew that Bane wouldn't be satisfied with just doing what Daggett wanted him to do. "The weapons. Applied Sciences. The reactor.. we can't let Daggett get his hands on any of them."

"They're all locked up pretty tight," Fox assured him. "But we need the board to get behind someone that _isn't _Daggett. If Daggett takes control of the company-"

"I know. They can get behind _you_."

Fox looked shocked. "I can't ask the board to support me in this."

"Would you rather Daggett takes control?"

Fox looked deep in thought for a few moments, perhaps trying to think of someone else that the board could get behind. When no name came to mind he looked at Bruce. "Okay."

Bruce nodded. "Thank you for this, Lucius."

* * *

Wayne stood outside the office. Daggett had just kicked up a fuss about how Wayne should not be in charge of the company- just like he had suspected he would. He'd left out of courtesy, but knew what was going on inside the office. The board was electing Fox to run the company, presumably to the dismay and anger of Daggett. He made his way downstairs, wondering what would happen next. He'd have to visit Jenny, to find out if she had heard anything more about Bane and his plans. Leaving the building he was surounded by journalists and photographers. They crowded around him, shouting questions. He struggled through them, seeing his Lamborghini being towed.

"_Dammit_," Bruce muttered under his breath.

"Mr Wayne, need a ride?"

Bruce turned to see the young police officer, Blake, stood by his patrol car. He nodded and made his way over.

* * *

"How the hell did Lucius Fox get the inside track?" Daggett raged, storming into his penthouse.

"I don't know," Stryver admitted. "Jennifer Aiken knew we had the prints.. it's possible she put 2 and 2 together-"

"But what would she gain by telling Wayne? Does she know him? Was she fucking him?"

"Not that we know of-"

"Clearly you don't '_know of_'anything! Where's Bane?"

"I told him it was urgent."

"Speak of the devil," a voice rang out. "And he shall appear."

Daggett and Stryver spun to find Bane stood in the centre of the room. Daggett advanced on him. "What the _hell _is going on?"

"The plan is proceeding as expected."

"You see me running Wayne Enterprises?!" He moved further towards Bane, furious. "Your stock exchange hit didn't work, _friend_. And now you've got my construction crews working all hours around the city? How's that supposed to help my company absorb Wayne's? And why the _fuck," _he was turning red in the face as he raged on, "did Jennifer Aiken tell Bruce Wayne that we were planning to absorb the company."

Bane paused, before turning to Stryver. "Leave us."

"You stay right there! I'm in charge!" Dagget was fuming. How dare Bane act like he was in control!

Bane turned back to him, and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Do you feel in charge?"

Stryver eyed the situation before leaving swiftly. "I've paid you a small fortune -"

"And that gives you power over me?"

Daggett felt the heavy hand on his shoulder. He was becoming more nervous by the second.

"Your money and infrastructure have been important. Till now."

"What are you?" he whispered.

"Gotham's reckoning. Come to end the borrowed time you've all been living on..."

Bane gently took the terrified Daggett's head in his hands. "You're evil," Dagget realised, to terrified to move.

"I am necessary evil." He twisted Daggett's neck swiftly, letting him slide to the floor. He walked away, considering what Daggett had said about Jennifer Aiken.

* * *

"Why did you wear the mask?" Blake asked as he drove through the city.

"To protect the people closest to me. There are always people you care about. You just don't realize how much until they're gone." Bruce paused, remembering Rachel, and remembering how frustrated he had felt when Jenny fled Gotham. He had cared about her, and still did. For eight years he didn't know if she was alive or dead.

"It was damn good to see him back," Blake said, smiling.

"Not everybody agrees," Bruce pointed out, bitterly.

"They'll figure it out in the end."

"Got anything on Bane's whereabouts?

"Yeah, I've got five hundred pages of tunnel records and a flashlight. I could use some help," he admitted.

Bruce thought about it a moment. "You know what? Drop me off in the Narrows."

"You're going to see Aiken, aren't you?" Blake asked.

"I need to know if she's found anything else out about Bane.. and I suspect she'll be devastated to know how my prints were used. The least I can do is tell her myself."

"You're not in your suit," Blake pointed out. "Are you ready to tell her who you really are?"

Wayne thought about this for a few minutes. "Could you-?"

"Sure."

"There's a few things you have to tell her.." As Bruce explained what John would need to tell Jenny, Blake smiled. He'd wanted to see Jennifer again.

* * *

She hadn't really done much today. She'd been too busy reading the newspaper that she'd found in the bin outside. It reported that Bruce Wayne had lost control of Wayne Enterprises. She felt a sick feeling inside. Was this Daggett's work, through Bane? If it was then she was just as responsible as they were. A knock at the door brought her from her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed. No one knew she was here. Apart from the batman and he wasn't in the habit of knocking on doors. She put the bag of chips aside and moved to the door slowly, preparing herself for a fight as she unlocked and opened it. Blake smiled at her from the corridor.

"Miss Aiken," he greeted. She felt her heart lurch. That's what Crane had called her.

"Just call me Jenny," she smiled. Blake nodded, entering.

"How do you know where I live?" she questioned, confused.

"Uh, the Batman told me," he answered, shifting his weight slightly.

Instead of feeling angry she couldn't help but feel amused. Batman seemed to be in the habit of telling Blake everything about her. "So, social visit?"

Blake laughed, "Erm, not exactly. The Batman said you told him about the prints?"

"Yeah." Jenny knew where this was going already. "They used the prints for the stocks?"

Blake nodded. "Verified by thumb print. Bruce Wayne is broke."

Jenny cursed, sitting down. "I should've _known_. I should've known what he was doing, and should've refused to let him blackmail me."

John sat next to her, unsure of exactly what to do. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known."

Jenny snorted. If she was more observant, more attentive, she was sure she could've figured out what Daggett was doing. Now an innocent man had lost everything because of her. "So, what happens to Wayne now? Does he have to live on the streets?"

"Actually they're letting him keep the house."

She scoffed. "The rich don't even go broke the same as everyone else."

John laughed. "I guess they don't."

They sat in silence for a while until John realised his hand was still on Jenny's shoulder. He withdrew it, clearing his throat awkwardly. "He wants to meet you tonight."

"... Wayne?"

"The Batman. He thinks you can lead him to Bane."

"I told him, I can't."

"Come on. You lived in the Narrows for months while you were with Crane and the Joker. You must've picked up some information about the sewer tunnels?"

She sighed frustratedly. "I don't know how much help I can be."

"Any help would be good help."

* * *

When Blake had said goodbye to Jenny and told her where to meet the Batman he received some news that confirmed what he had already known.

Gordon sat up in his hospital bed, talking to Foley, a police chief. He was recovering well, and seemed set on trying to run the police force from his bed.

"John Daggett's body was found in a dumpster an hour ago. I thought you might want to know," John said when Jim greeted him.

"Why?"

"Because Daggett's name is all over the permits I pulled to map the tunnels under Gotham." He gave Gordon a huge file filled with maps and papers. "MTA maintenance, sewer construction.."

Gordon flicked through the papers before turning to Foley. "Where did you get to in the tunnel searches?"

Foley glared at Blake, furious that the rookie seemed to be doing a better job than him. "We've had teams of men down there-"

"Get more men. Work a grid. I want him found."

Foley nodded stiffly. Gordon eyed the files, wishing he could do more than lay in bed. "This is good work," he praised John. "Lose the uniform. You work for me now. We could use some hotter heads around here."

* * *

Jenny perched on the raised concrete block between the two train tracks. She was wearing her goggles that the Batman had given her. They were pushed up onto her head, still looking remarkably like the ears of a cat. She sensed him before she saw him.

"Don't be shy," she said, smiling as a shadow moved and Batman stepped into the light. Jenny hopped down from the block and began walking into the tunnel, knowing that the Batman would follow. After Blake had visited her she had spent all day visiting bars, shelters and other places around the Narrows trying to gather information on Bane. With the right motivation anyone was willing to talk. She didn't know what the Batman would do when he reached Bane. She knew that Bane wasn't someone to mess with, but she also knew that Bane was planning something big. So if the Batman could stop him before the plan was set into motion, then it'd be a good thing. She looked over her shoulder. "From here Bane's men patrol the tunnels. And they're not your average brawlers."  
"Neither am I," Batman rasped. Jenny grinned at that. She turned into a sewer tunnel, came face to face with a mercenary and grabbed his head, smashing it against the wall before he could so much as blink. As they moved deeper and deeper into the tunnels they fought as a team, bringing down any mercenary in their path. Jenny was almost shot but Batman deflected the bullet at the last second. They finally saw light, and the Batman stepped forward. With a slam a metal grate fell, separating the two. Jenny watched as Bane appeared at the end of the bridge that Batman was now stood on, and realised that he knew they were coming. Mercenaries looked down on them from above.

"Bane," Batman said.

"Let's not stand on ceremony here, _Mr Wayne_."

Jenny's mouth fell open. Mr Wayne.. she should've known that from the start..

Bane walked forwards, with the same unnatural swagger as the night on the flat roof of Daggett's building. Batman tried to strike him but Bane caught his fist easily.

"Peace has cost you strength. Victory has defeated you." He delivered a punch and a kick in quick succession- the kick sent Batman falling over the edge of the bridge. He used his cape to land, but barely had time to get his breath before Bane was in front of him. Batman lashed out, but Bane countered him and they moved back, examining each other in silence- looking for a weakness. Jenny couldn't turn away. She'd led Batman to Bane. How stupid had she been, not taking in the possibilty that Bane _knew _they were coming? As Bane delivered another punch she wondered if that would've even made a difference. Batman was strong, yes, but Bane was unbelievably powerful. He didn't flinch, no matter what the Batman tried. Jenny watched as Batman stumbled back, breathless, and hit a switch on his belt. The electricity cut out and she could only see shadows and outlines.

"You think darkness is your ally," Bane's voice rang out. "But you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, formed by it.." Jenny heard the punches, but couldn't see who was hitting who. "I didn't see the light until I was already a man. And by then it was _blinding_..." His arm reached out, and Jenny could see Batman struggling in Bane's grasp. He had him by the throat. Bane smashed him to the floor and repeatedly hit the cowl, smashing it harder and harder against the floor until it cracked. Jenny realised she was gripping the bars of the grate until the rusty metal cut her hands.

"I will show you where I've made home while preparing to bring justice. And then I will break you." Bane gestured to the ceiling. Explosions burst over their heads as the ceiling crumbled- rocks and debris falling onto the exhausted Batman. Light flooded the huge room, and Jenny watched as the Batman managed to look up.

"No.." he mumbled feebly. Jenny looked to see a camouflaged vehicle tilting over the edge of the hole in the ceiling.

"Your weapons store. Gratefully accepted. We will need it." Batman stood, swaying alarmingly. "I was wondering which would break first- your spirit.." Batman swung for him, and Bane dodged the fist easily. He grabbed the Bat and lifted him high over his head with no more effort than a child lifting a doll. "..or your body." He brought batman down to his knee with a sickening crack.

"_No_!" Jenny screamed, releasing her lip that she had been biting hard. Bane looked up to her, remembering she was there. He threw Batman's body to the ground and Jenny watched in horror, silently begging him to stand up. He didn't. She noticed the mercenaries on the balconies moving away, and saw bane gesture to her to the lead mercenary from the sewers. She willed her legs to move, and suddenly she was running. She heard gunshots behind her, and sprinted through the tunnels, past the unconscious bodies of those she had fought with the Batman a mere 30 minutes ago. The thunderous footsteps behind her eventually quieted, but she didn't stop running until she was out of the tunnel, and halfway through the Narrows. Her heart was beating faster than ever, and she could feel blood dripping from where she had bitten her lip. She felt tears fall. Bruce Wayne was Batman, and she had led him to.. to what? His death? She hadn't seen him move afterwards. The image of his broken body flashed into Jenny's mind and she let out a sob.

* * *

Blake was at her door when she eventually returned home. She had been wandering around in the dark for hours, not sure exactly what she was supposed to do. She'd had two near-misses with police cruisers, and finally decided she might be safer in her apartment. He entered the apartment with her, and watched as she took off her jacket, throwing it onto the floor. She stood silently, her eyes hollow and red. John knew something was wrong.

"I went to, uh, I tried to find the Batman," John said, unsure of what had made Jenny look so lost and broken.

"At Wayne Manor?" she asked quietly.

John raised his eyebrows. "You know?"

"Yeah."

John eyed her expression and the realisation dawned slowly. "Did he kill him?"

Jenny met his eyes and, in barely a whisper, answered, "I don't know."

"I- I could offer you some protection. As a cop, I could-"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm one of the most wanted criminals in Gotham. Your people still think I killed the white knight. I don't think there's many cops who'd give me protection at the minute."

Blake knew she was right. He wished the situation was different. He wished that the Batman was still there, and that Harvey Dent was still alive, and that Jenny had never been to Arkham and met the Joker. He realised she was bleeding and moved closer, pulling a tissue from his pocket. He dabbed at the blood, moving closer to get into the light.

"What happened?" he asked quietly, focusing on wiping away the dried blood.

"I bit my lip," she murmured. They locked eyes and suddenly rational thought left both of them. John moved closer, pressing his lips against Jenny's softly. He paused, before running a hand down her arm, holding her to him as he kissed her again. She kissed him back, slowly. John felt how soft her lips were, and tasted the thin layer of blood on her bottom lip.

She woke the next morning and made herself a coffee, feeling numb from the events of the day before. The kiss with Blake had only lasted a few moments, but she was angry at herself for giving into it. They had talked afterwards, and John had spent the night on the sofa. She watched him now, over the edge of her coffee cup, wondering what would happen to them both, and wondering what Bane had done to Batman.

* * *

**A/N: **Fox isn't a board member normally, but I made him one.. because I can ;P I got this chapter out quicker than I thought I would, I hope you all enjoy it! There's some good stuff coming up soon ;) I'm seeing loads of people following and favouriting this, thank you so much! But please, if you follow/favourite, review as well so I know why you like this story, and what I can do to improve it. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, I love reading them!

**bnhullova:** Haha, 'Amazing' is a strong word, so thank you so much :$

**guest: **I remember tearing up when I first saw that scene. So heartbreaking :(

**TC Stark: **Thank you :) Yeah, it was one of the saddest scenes of the full film :'(

**ZabuzasGirl:** I'm happy you're enjoying it!

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	7. Chapter 7

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Seven**

John stood next to Gordon's bed, his hair slightly messy. He had stayed the night at Jenny's. If the Batman was really gone like she said he was, he didn't want to take any chances. Bane could find out where she lived, and he didn't want to think what would happen if he got his hands on her.  
"So you think our friend is gone again?" Gordon was asking. He was sitting up. The nurse said he'd been improving greatly, and was only a few day's rest away from being discharged.

"This time," John said gravely, "I don't think he's coming back."

Foley burst in, interrupting whatever Gordon was about to say. "Okay, commissioner, you were right."

"What's happened?"

"Your masked man kidnapped the Wayne Enterprises board. He let most of them go but took two of them down into the sewers."

Gordon straightened further. "No more patrols. No more hide and seek. Send _every _available cop down there to smoke him out."

"The mayor won't want panic-"

"So it's a training exercise," John put in.

Foley left and John moved to follow. "Not you," Gordon said quickly to John. "You're saying the Batman's gone so I want you to chase up the Daggett leads, any way you can."

* * *

Foley watched as the huge crowd of cops slowly began walking into the tunnels, armed with guns and flashlights. Most of them looked determined, but every now and then there was a scared face that suggested that the rumours about Bane were circulating faster. He waited until the majority of the cops were inside the tunnels before joining the crowd.

* * *

_"We're seeing literally thousands of police heading into the sewers-"_

_"A training exercise, that's all. If you'll excuse me I've got tickets to watch our boys thrash Rapid City."_

The television was on in the background, and Jenny was running around the apartment, throwing on her jacket when John entered, looking breathless. He'd clearly run up the stairs.

"I need your help," he said. Jenny nodded. When she had seen the first news report of the 'training exercise' she knew exactly what was happening, and knew she couldn't sit back and do nothing. Not now that the Batman was gone- because of her. She followed Blake out to his car and got in, feeling exhilarated and nervous. She had no idea what was going to happen next. Blake drove as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself.

"I've been to half of Daggett's cement plants, logged locations they've poured for underground construction-" he reached across to the glove compartment and gave the maps to Jenny. She looked at them, seeing red crosses at random locations around the edge of the city. John pulled up outside another construction site. Jenny no longer cared who saw her, knowing that whatever Bane was planning was a hell of a lot worse than what would happen if she was spotted out and about. She followed John into the site.

"That was you outside the stock exchange, right?" She heard John ask, as she moved to examine the barrels along the side of a truck. Suddenly she heard a gunshot and ducked, turning in shock as the first man, the driver, went down. Blake was struggling with the second man, and losing. Jenny grabbed the gun from the dead driver's hand and aimed, struggling desperately to get a clear shot of the man now behind Blake. She pulled the trigger and saw the man fall, blood oozing out onto the concrete. Blake looked shocked. He grabbed the man's body.

"What were you doing? _What_?!" But the man was already dead. Jenny turned back to the barrels, wide-eyed, and noticed the symbols on the side.  
"Blake!" She shouted. He approached, fumbling for his phone. "They've got motor oil here," she looked around. "And Poly- polyiso- _explosives_."

"Are you sure?" John asked, horrified.

She gave a grim laugh. "I lived with the Joker."

That was all the confirmation he needed. They ran back to the car as John called Gordon and explained what they had found. He started the car and they began racing through the city. Jenny scanned the maps again, desperately looking for a pattern.

"_Oh god_..." she breathed. She gave Blake the radio. "Tell them to pull back!"

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes still on the road as they sped at over 100mph.

"They're heading into a trap!"

Blake grabbed the radio, seeing the pattern that Jenny pointed out on the map. "Patch me into Foley. Now!"

"_Foley here_-"

"It's a trap. Pull all of your men out of there right now! Bane's been pouring cement laced with explosives-"

"_Where?_"

"There's a ring around the tunnels! They're going to blow it up and trap the cops underground!" He cursed as he swerved to miss a cab. Jenny was as wide-eyed and terrified as him. They heard Foley shout an instruction before the sound of explosions crackled through the radio. the same sound was heard from across the city, and the two of them looked in horror as dark smoke rose from spots along the left, between the buildings. They swerved between dazed and terrified people. Smoke billowed from the manholes. The explosions got closer and an explosion directly to the right of the cruiser sent rocks smashing into the windscreen. John swore and spun the wheel but a huge plume of dust and debris made it impossible for him to see. They could hear more explosions all around them, and as John desperately tried to turn the wheel back the car flipped twice, landing on the roof with a huge crash.

Jenny opened her eyes, seeing the world turned upside down. Looking left she saw John stirring.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice slow and shell-shocked.

"Yeah," he gasped. He undid his seatbelt, falling awkwardly. "Can you get out?"

She checked, seeing the passenger window framed by broken glass but with a hole large enough for her. She gave a weak "Yeah," before struggling out, feeling the glass cut her hands and legs, but not really caring. One particularly sharp piece caught the side of her face and blood dripped down onto the floor. Once out she stood, coughing as the dust settled. Blake stumbled out next to her, holding the radio. His head was bleeding, but not seriously, and his suit was covered in white dust.

"Foley?" he asked.

"_Jesus, Blake! Every cop in the city's down in those tunnels_!"

John locked eyes with Jenny as they came to the same realisation. "Not every cop." They flagged down another car.

* * *

When they reached the hospital the staff and patients were cowering in the reception and the corridors. When they saw Jenny many of them screamed, but she paid no attention. Blake ran in front, holding his badge in one hand and his gun in the other. The door to Gordon's room was open and before they reached it Gordon himself exited, pulling on a jacket over his civilian clothes.

"Clear the corners, rookie," he smiled weakly. Then his eyes widened as they fell on Jenny. "Jennifer," he nodded. Jenny nodded back, unsure of what else to do. Gordon noticed the blood now covering half of their faces, as well as the bloody gashes on their trousers, legs and arms. "Did you get caught in it?" he asked, referring to the explosions.

"A little, we crashed, but got out okay," John said.

Gordon waved them over to the television next to his bed. "Bane is at the stadium."

They grouped around the screen, seeing the field. The explosions must've happened directly below the stadium, most of the field had collapsed in on itself, and only half of the seats remained. Bane himself was stood at the edge of the destruction, addressing the silent audience, and everyone who could watch on the screens.

"Gotham," his voice echoed, sounding even more menacing than usual. "Take control of your city!" A large orb was carried into the shot, and set down beside Bane. "This is the instrument of your liberation!" A man was thrown to his knees, and Jenny gasped. It was the doctor from the plane. "Identify yourself to the world." Bane shoved the microphone in front of Pavel.

"Dr Leonid Pavil, nuclear physicist." Bane turned Pavel's head for the cameras. He rested a powerful hand on Pavel's shoulder.

"Tell the world what this is."

"A fully primed neutron bomb. With a blast radius of six miles."

"And who can disarm this device?" Bane asked, his voice sounding more dramatic for the cameras.

"Only me."

"Only you," Bane repeated. "Thank you, doctor." He swiftly snapped the doctor's neck. Screams went up through the crowd. "The bomb is armed, the bomb is mobile, the identity of the trigger man is a mystery. One of you holds the detonator - we come not as conquerors, but as liberators to return control of this city to the people. At the first sign of interference from the outside world or of people attempting to flee, this anonymous Gothamite, this unsung hero, will trigger the bomb. For now, martial law is in effect. Return to your homes, hold your families close, and wait. Tomorrow you claim what is rightfully yours."

He walked off the field, followed by his men. The screen cut to black.

* * *

They sat in Blake's apartment, Jenny feeling extremely out of place between two men of the law. John gave them each a mug of coffee and sat down, looking as troubled as the other two felt. The television had been replaying Bane's message all day and, most recently, the President's message to Gotham, saying they were not alone. Gordon just scoffed at that.

"I need to get in front of a camera," Gordon said contemplatively.

"Sir, they'll kill you the second you show your face," John pointed out.

"The mayor's dead. I'm the symbol of law and order. Bane says he's giving Gotham back to the people.. they need to know that I can lead."

"Bane's not gonna let that happen," Jenny said slowly.

"Then he'll show his true colours."

"Then you'll be dead."

Gordon said nothing.

Jenny stood up and paced the room, needing to move her legs to distract herself, despite the sharp pains racking her body. The news cut to another live feed.  
Bane stood on a raised platform, in front of solid black gates.

"Behind me stands a symbol of oppression. Blackgate Prison.."

Jenny's head jerked up. Suddenly she knew the next part of Bane's plan. She looked at Blake and Gordon who's attention was fixed on the screen. She slipped out.

"..where a thousand men have languished for years. Under the Dent Act. Under the name of this man-" Bane held up a photograph of Dent. And then set fire to it. "But they supplied you a false idol. A straw man. To placate. To stop you tearing down this _corrupt _city... and rebuilding it the way it should have been rebuilt generations ago." He dropped the burning picture. Even through the camera feeds the viewers could hear the triumphant shouts of the prisoners, who were already clearly close to rioting. "Let me tell you the truth about Harvey Dent. In the words of Gotham's Police Commissioner, James Gordon.." Blake glanced sideways at Gordon who was still watching, uneasy. Bane unfolded the speech that he had taken from Gordon's jacket in the sewers. "'The truth about Harvey Dent is simple in only one regard - it has been hidden for too long. After his devastating injuries, Harvey's mind has recovered no better than his mutilated face. He was a broken, dangerous man, not the crusader for justice that I, James Gordon, have portrayed him to be for the last eight years. Harvey's rage was indiscriminate. Psychopathic. He held my family at gunpoint, then fell to his death in the struggle over my son's life. Jennifer Aiken and the Batman did not murder Harvey Dent - they saved my boy. Then took the blame for Harvey's appalling crimes, so that I could, to my shame, build a lie around this _fallen idol_.'" Gordon buried his face in his hands. "'The things we did in Harvey's name brought desperately needed security to our streets... But I can no longer live with my lie. It is time to trust the people of Gotham with the truth, and it is time for me to resign.'" Bane folded the papers, tucked them away and looked to the stunned crowd. "And do you accept this man's resignation?!"

The roars of "Yes!" from the prisoners echoed over the gates. They were pounding on their bars, creating more and more noise.

"And do you accept the resignation of all the _liars_? All the _corrupt_?!"

More of the crowd took up the cry of "Yes!", as a camouflaged vehicle drove forwards, positioning itself in front of the gates.

Blake turned to Gordon, disbelieving. "These men, locked up in Blackgate for eight years, _denied parole _under the Dent Act. Based on a lie. A lie this bad.. Dent tried to murder your son, and you hold him up as someone to be admired?"

"A lie to keep the city from burning to the ground. Gotham needed a hero, someone to believe in-"

"Not as much as it does now. But you betrayed everything you stood for."

Gordon looked at Blake, trying to make him understand. "There's a point. Far out there. When the structures fail you. When the rules aren't weapons anymore, they're shackles, letting the bad get ahead. Maybe one day you'll have such a moment of crisis. And in that moment, I hope you have a friend like I did. To plunge their hands into the filth so you can keep yours clean."

Blake paused for a second. "Your hands look pretty filthy to me, Commissioner." He turned to the kitchen counter, where Jenny had been leaning when Bane started his speech. She was gone. "Where's Jennifer?"

Gordon stood, "I didn't see her leave."

Blake cursed. "We need to find her. Now. Before the city finds her."

* * *

Bane signalled the vehicle, which turned its gun to the gates. "We take Gotham from the corrupt. The rich. The oppressors of generations who've kept you down with the myth of opportunity. And we give it to you, the people. Gotham is yours - none shall interfere. Do as you please..." The vehicle fired, blowing the gates to hell. "But start by storming Blackgate and freeing the oppressed... Step forward, those who would serve..." He opened his arms wide as Bane's men surged through the burning gates.

Jenny was hiding in the shadows, ignoring the searing pain from the car crash. When she saw the crowd move forwards she ran, knowing she wouldn't get a better chance, and joined them. Most had bags of guns, and were heading straight for the cells. Jenny slipped off, reaching the control room for the cell doors. She had no idea where she was supposed to go to find Crane. There were shouts and crashes and gunshots and smashing glass all around her, but she didn't care. A guard ran in, terrified, and froze in his place when he saw her. She grabbed him slamming him against the control board. He whimpered. Jenny couldn't help but think that he was pathetic.

"Where's Crane's cell?"

"Wha- what?" he spluttered.

"Crane. Jonathan Crane. Scarecrow. Where is his cell?"

"He'll be in E block, max- maximum security. Please don't kill me," he sobbed.

She scoffed. "I'm not going to kill you, but those guys out there probably will. I'd suggest hiding somewhere." She left him there.

E block was not far from the entrance, and the way there was mostly empty as the prisoners poured out into the city. Running past each cell she glanced in, seeing glass, torn bedsheets and, in one cell, a pool of blood. Grimacing she continued. A few had prisoners still inside, sorting out weapons. One leered at her as she passed, but she ignored him. Two cells before the end she spotted him, stood in the centre of the cell, almost as though he was waiting for her.

He was thinner than she remembered, and his hair was stuck up more than it was slicked back. He was still in his jumpsuit, but still seemed to exude an air of professionalism. His body didn't move but his eyes never left her as she skidded to a halt in front of the cell and entered slowly.

"Crane," she said cautiously.

"Miss Aiken," he greeted coldly. He took in her appearance. Her torn trousers, with blood visible through the fabric. Her t-shirt, ripped and covered in blood, dust and oil. Her hair was a state, and she had blood caked on one side of her face.

"..You're not rioting?"

His lips twitched. "I have no interest in the masked man, or what he's after." She didn't have to ask what Bane was after. She knew that by being in Blackgate Crane would've heard rumours of what Bane wanted, and that included her, especially after she fled from the tunnels the night that the Batman fought him. Crane was looking at her critically. He nodded forwards, indicating her appearance. "You look like you're in pain."

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing."

She didn't know what else to say. They hadn't seen each other for eight years. She had thought about this moment many times over the years, trying to determine what it would be like- how they would react. She was happy to see him, very happy, but there was something.. _off_. Something different about him, that she couldn't quite put her finger on. He was cold, distant. Even more so than normal.

"I would've thought you'd want to leave," she said, wondering why he was still here.

"I've been here.. how long exactly?" he furrowed his brow, as though he'd forgotten.

".. Eight years," Jenny answered quietly.

"Eight years," he repeated. "So a few more minutes won't hurt, I'm sure."

"Jonathan I wanted to come for you. To _help _you-"

"I didn't need your help," he spat. "But I'm sure if you wanted to come for me you would've _done _it."

"I was trying to think of a way-"

"But then the precious Joker dropped his trousers and you forgot about your little escape plan for me?"

"I- what?"

"Don't lie," he said, through gritted teeth. "_He _saw it before I did, of course. The way you would look at each other. The way you'd stay in the bedroom for hours. You even slept in the same _bed_-"

She didn't need to ask who 'he' was. "Are you fucking kidding me? You're acting like this because Scarecrow told you I was fucking the Joker?"

"Were you?" he tilted his head to the side, knowing the answer already. Scarecrow had pretty much engraved it into his mind anyway. He didn't wait for a reply. "It was not just the fact that you were fucking your precious Joseph, but the way you tried to lie, and manipulate me. _Me_, of all people. Did you really think that would work?"

"I never lied to you."

He scoffed. "You're lying right now. What were you after? My fear toxin? If that's what you want, darling, I'd be happy to oblige."

"Wow," she breathed, "Scarecrow really did a number on you, didn't he?"

He bristled at that, clearly angry that Jenny had thought Scarecrow was to blame, rather than him. Did she think he was not capable of thought on his own? Did she see him as dependant on the Scarecrow? "It's taken you eight years to get here. I hope you had _fun_, running around with the Batman. Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"It was better than the time I spent with you," she retorted through gritted teeth. She could sense him getting angrier and angrier. The conversation was getting more heated, and she knew it was only a matter of time until he snapped. She couldn't have been more correct.

He laughed, a cold and emotionless laugh at her childish retort before stepping forward, quicker than she could have believed. He grabbed her and pinned her against the side wall of the cell, his face mere inches from hers. He could feel her rapid breath on his cheek, and he closed his eyes for a second, remembering her breathing against his ear when they were first.. together. He opened his eyes again, looking into her green ones, wide with apprehension. "I couldn't care less who you _fuck_, who you live with, or what you do. But there's one thing I can't stand, and that's the way you seem to think you're _innocent _in all of this." His lips moved to her ear. "Don't think you're going to get away with what you've done with the Bat. Bane's men are already talking about the _bounty _that's on your head." His thumb brushed over her left arm that was pinned to the wall, and he found one of the cuts. His eyes moved over it, in an almost caring way, before turning back to Jenny's face. He pressed his thumb down on the cut, making her gasp in pain. It was a wonderful sound. "You helped the Bat gather information on Bane, didn't you? I can only imagine what Bane will do to you when he finds you," he murmured against her skin, pressing his thumb harder.

She ground her teeth together, fighting the pain.

"You really believe that I think I'm innocent?" Jenny gave a bitter laugh. "That just shows how little you know about me."

Again he ignored her. "Maybe I'll hand you in to Bane myself. I'm sure I'd get a rather impressive amount of money for you. I could make some more medicine-"

"The medicine that got you arrested to begin with?"

"-and test it on _you_." He moved his head and rested his forehead on Jenny's, locking eyes with her. He'd always liked her eyes. "I _could _hand you over, but I won't."

"Why not?" Jenny asked quietly, not wanting to provoke him. She was already aching all over. If it came to a physical fight she knew she wouldn't win.

"Because it'll be much more fun to have you looking over your shoulder, never sure when I'm going to visit you. And rest assured Jenny, I will be visiting you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her softly on the lips. "Thanks for the quickie," he murmured, before smiling and leaving her there.

* * *

**A/N: **Man, I've missed good ol' Crane :3 I've had a surprising amount of fun at university this week, so I'm in a brilliant mood right now. I couldn't leave Crane out of this story any longer. You guys have been so patient! Again, thanks to the followers, the favouriters, and the reviewers. And please, please, pretty please, review when you've finished. Thanks so much :)

**Pandy the Dandy: **Thank you:) I really hope you like this chapter, it's been a long time coming haha.

**TC Stark: **Ohh he's going to get crazier :P He's still cold and calulcating, of course, but he's definitely on board the crazy train at the minute. Thanks for reviewing :3

**Disclaimer: Batma**n, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	8. Chapter 8

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Eight**

Jenny walked out of the building in a daze, forgetting that she was once again one of the most wanted citizens in Gotham- even with Bane's new government. People were running, screaming, and shooting at each other. No one seemed to know exactly what was going on, but the criminals were just happy to be out. She spotted Bane's lead mercenary beside a tank-like vehicle. He looked up and spotted her, but before he could react she felt someone grab her arm and pull her roughly around a corner.

"Are. You. Insane?" John asked through gritted teeth. "If they find you they'll kill you."

"I doubt it," Jenny said, still dwelling on her reunion with Crane.

"What do you mean you 'doubt it'?"

"I mean Bane will want to know what I know about the Batman. He saw me, that night that he fought the Bat. I ran away before he could get to me."

"Even more reason to stay out of sight. Bane is dangerous. Look at what he did," John said, gesturing around them. "He did this easier than most people blink. He'll make you pay for helping the Batman. You have to stay hidden." With a vice-like grip on her arm he pulled her to the car and set off.

When they reached his apartment Gordon was asleep on the couch.

"I told him to get some rest," John explained. "I knew where you'd go."

"Am I that predictable?" Jenny asked grimly.

"Afraid so." He pointed her to a door in the corner. "The bedroom is through there. Get some rest, and forget about Crane. You've got bigger things to worry about now."

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the uprising, and Crane was having more fun than he'd had in years. Eight years to be exact. He reclined in the moth-eaten chair, closing his eyes in contentment. He'd spent the day condemning cops to death. After so long in Blackgate he was feeling like dishing out a little revenge, and this position as a judge in Bane's new court was perfect for that. Hundreds of cops, lawyers, bankers, and various billionaires were dragged in, one after another, and sentenced. He relished the looks on their faces when they realised that they were going to die. He'd missed that expression. Scarecrow was in his element. He'd often come forward in court, helping with the sentencing. It was him who had decided that exile should involve freezing and drowning in the ice by Gotham bridge. Crane had to admire his sick desire to see people suffer. A small part of him hoped to see _her_. He wanted to see her suffer for thinking she could get away with tricking him, and lying to him. He hadn't expected to see her at the prison during the breakout. She'd shown up, looking bedraggled and caked in blood. He hated to admit that he'd felt aroused at the sight of her. There was something about her eyes.. he'd forgotten how bright they were. Scarecrow had reminded him of her lies, though, and he had gone back to the matter at hand- scaring her. When he had murmured in her ear he saw her pupils dilate, and heard her breath quicken. He knew she was scared, not matter how much she tried to hide it. He wondered where she was now. He knew she'd be found soon. She was Jennifer Aiken, reformed criminal turned Batman aid. She'd be found. By Bane's men, presumably. He just had to wait.

* * *

John watched as Jenny rushed around the apartment, throwing things into an open bag. He shook his head, defiant.

"We're not leaving," he said, his jaw set. Jenny didn't slow down.

"You have to."

"We don't have to do anything," he answered stubbornly. Jenny threw the armfuls of clothes to the floor and looked at him.

"You're a cop, and Gordon's the god-damn police commissioner! They're going to look for you, and this'll be the first place they'll come. Do you want to die?"

"You're trying to get us to leave, but you're not coming with us!" John pointed out, furious that Jenny seemed to place his life above her own. "We're not leaving here without you. They'll be looking for you more than for us."

"I'll be fine."

"Don't lie like that. Everyone that works for Bane is after you. You won't last two days."

"John, I can't live with myself knowing that I've led two more people to their deaths. I can't do it." Her eyes were brimming with tears now, and John realised just how set Jenny was on getting them out of that apartment.

"You really won't back down on this, will you?" he asked quietly. She shook her head.

"When I first realised that I was in Arkham, I went to the cafeteria, and I knew that everyone was talking about me. It was awful. Then I saw this guy, at the back, staring at me. I went over, and talked to him. He said his name was Edward. He had the most orange hair I've ever seen," she smiled at the memory. "We became friends. I sat with him every day and ate breakfast with him. He'd always ask me these random questions, like riddles. When I escaped, I completely forgot about him. I didn't think about him once. Then, when I left the Joker, I bumped into him again. He'd been discharged, and said I could stay at his house for the night. He tried to stop me from finding Mansur, the next day, but I went anyway." Jenny felt her voice starting to shake as she remembered what had happened that day. "He came after me, to stop me I think.. there was a firefight.. and I- I shot at a guy, but Edward was there. My bullet, at least I think it was mine, it hit him. He died right there. I didn't.. I didn't know what to do. I could hear the guns and Lau was being burned alive.. I had to get out of there. I didn't have time to do anything, the Joker was threatening to blow up a hospital.." She trailed off before sniffing and wiping the tears from her eyes. "The point is Edward tried to help me, he was my _friend_, and he died. I killed him. Even if it wasn't my bullet, I may as well have pulled the trigger."

John stood in silence, not really knowing what to say. It had been two weeks since he found her at Blackgate, and she'd been dead set on getting him away from Bane's men. They obviously couldn't leave the city, but they could hide out, keep their heads down, and hope that Bane's men would pass over them- their minds set on more important issues. But he never thought Jenny would be the important issue that would keep him and Gordon safe. "I don't want to leave you here," he admitted. He knew it was futile. She'd convince them, and they'd hide out. They'd find another apartment, or even try to get in touch with someone outside the city.

Half an hour later and they were stood in the doorway of the building. He and Gordon had a few bags strapped across their shoulders. They'd packed light, knowing that they needed to draw as little attention as possible. Gordon had been doing reconnaissance for a few hours and had determined that most of Bane's forces were in the northern part of Gotham, getting their kicks by watching the new court that Bane had set up. He hadn't been able to get close enough to see exactly what was going on, but he knew it was nothing good. He looked at Jenny one last time, not knowing what to say to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. He didn't believe it himself at the minute. Instead he gave her a weak smile, which he hoped conveyed everything he wanted to say. She smiled back, gave them each a small hug and watched as they began their walk to the other side of Gotham, to the Narrows. They weren't sure where they would stay, but they knew that there were abandoned apartments aplenty down there. If Bane's men came looking for John Blake they would come to the address listed in the police files. Same with Gordon. As long as they were anywhere but there they should be safe. At least for a while.

* * *

Jenny watched the last two people on earth that she trusted turn a corner and disappear. Walking back up to the apartment she reminded herself that this was for the best. Bane's men couldn't find them. She wouldn't let them. Sending them away was a security measure, as was not going with them. She'd dragged them into it. It seemed as though everything she touched, anyone she talked to.. they all suffered because of her. She was better off alone. She'd figured that out a long time ago, but still ignored it when she came back to Gotham. Her parents, Edward, Batman.. not to mention countless others whose names she didn't know. They'd all died because of her. She remembered Crane's words, and a shiver ran down her spine. He said he'd visit her. Would he? Was he just trying to scare her? She had no idea. She couldn't even tell if it was Crane she had talked to, or Scarecrow. Eight years apart had changed them both. She didn't know him any more Had she ever? Only a month after she first met him he had pinned her against a wall and threatened her. Why had she trusted him? Had she been looking at him through rose-tinted glasses the whole time?

The television stations had been abandoned almost immediately after the uprising, so it was pointless trying to turn on the news to find out what was happening. All she could do now was wait. Maybe it would be better if she was caught. Bane couldn't be stopped, but surely capturing and killing her would make him more amiable with everybody else? Even as she thought it she knew it was ridiculous. Bane wouldn't care. He'd kill everyone anyway, whether he had her or not. She sat on the couch, not sure what to do next. She'd reassured John and Gordon that she knew somewhere safe. That she'd be leaving for that safe place as soon as they left, but she didn't know anywhere safe any more For eight years she'd tried to convince herself that finding Crane would solve her problems. That he would know what to do. But he didn't. He was bitter, and crazy, and convinced that she was in the wrong. She was lost, and alone, and the city was being destroyed around her. Sitting there she realised that she was tired. Tired of hiding, and running away from everything. She'd never outrun anything. Eventually it would catch up to her. Why not just wait for Bane to find her? Everything would be over quicker that way. She made herself comfortable, and waited for the inevitable.

* * *

Jenny felt as though she'd been hit by a truck. Her body throbbed with sharp bursts of pain. She should've known that it would happen, but she was still shocked when the group of men kicked down John's door and found her on the couch.

"Forget the cop," one of them had said gleefully. "Aiken will be worth more than anyone else in the city." Then they'd beaten her. She hadn't fought back, after making the decision what whatever was going to happen should happen quickly. She'd given up. They kicked her, punched her, and stomped on her ribs so hard she blacked out. Now she was on the floor, not even bothering to find a more comfortable position. They'd dragged her from the van into the courthouse and thrown her down next to an elderly woman who'd tried to help her before she realised who she was. After that the other captives had turned away leaving her, once again, alone and in pain. One by one the captives were taken up the main staircase into a courtroom. None of them ever came back down again. When the elderly woman was taken Jenny felt a grim satisfaction. Let her go. She'd turned away. She deserved whatever they did to her in there. Before long she felt someone grab her tied wrists and yank her to her feet. She gritted her teeth, almost biting her tongue off as another jolt of agony went through her. The captives watched with unforgiving eyes as she was led up the steps. She was Jennifer Aiken, famous murderer and co-conspirator of the Joker. And she was getting what she deserved. She felt the cable ties cut into her skin as she was pulled down a corridor and into a huge room. The edges were lined with hundreds of criminals. They were shouting, excited for whoever was next for sentencing. Jenny felt her heart race. These were not people renowned for sympathy. She'd get no help here. As she was led through the crowd the shouts turned to jeers as people realised who she was. Some tried to grab her but whoever held her wrists pushed them away.

Finally she came to the clearing in the middle of the room. From here she could see everyone that had come to watch the day's sentences. There were so many. Everyone from Blackgate must've been there. She heard a gavel banging and turned to the front, seeing a makeshift stand- made primarily of chairs and tables tied together crudely. Her eyes slowly moved up, taking in the various items of furniture before they finally rested on the man at the top- the judge. His hair was even messier, with strands hanging over his icy blue eyes. His glasses were perched on his nose and the suit he wore had tufts of material sticking out at the shoulders. Her breath caught in her throat. He looked up from the book he had been reading between prisoners, catching her eye. If he was surprised to see her he didn't show it. Instead he smirked, his eyes flashing behind the lenses of his glasses.

"Miss Aiken," he said. The room fell quiet as the criminals watched hungrily for whatever sentence she would receive. She stayed silent. "You are Jennifer Aiken, the _infamous _criminal mastermind?" The way he said it showed what he thought of that title, full of scorn.

"I'm Jennifer Aiken," she confirmed stiffly, feeling the pain spread through her body. "Is Bane so busy that he needs his new lapdog to do his sentencing for him?" The crowd jeered more at that.

"Bane has no authority here. This is merely a sentencing hearing."

"Funny. I could've sworn you said Bane was looking for me," Jenny said weakly, furious that Crane was on Bane's side.

"He was," a voice said from behind her. Jenny spun round, wincing at the sudden flare of pain. Bane was stood at the back of the room, dark and foreboding. Had he been there since she came in? He was watching her with dark eyes, his emotions unreadable. Jenny turned back to Crane. Bane's presence shouldn't have changed anything, she was a dead woman either way, but she suddenly felt more afraid. Crane seemed to sense it. He leaned forward.

"What I would've given to use my toxin on you.." he breathed slowly. Jenny watched him cautiously, noticing a change in his expression for a second. He looked down, composing himself, and when he looked up he wore the same cold expression from a few moments ago. "The choice is yours. Exile-"

"Crane." Jonathan faltered and looked behind Jenny to Bane. The crowd turned, and Jenny did too, wondering why Bane had spoken up again. "I wish to speak to Aiken alone."

"Alone?" Crane shifted uncomfortably, clearly knowing that if Bane wanted to talk to someone it would involve more than a simple chat over coffee. "She needs to be sentenced-"

"She will be."

Jenny felt as though the floor was falling beneath her. Bane terrified her, and after seeing what he did to the Batman she was even more uneasy. Crane's reaction did nothing to calm her nerves.

Crane had no idea what to do next. He had been waiting for Jenny to be brought to the courthouse. He knew it was only a matter of time. With Scarecrow's input shaping his view of her he'd been looking forward to sentencing her after everything she had done. But seeing her here had changed something in him. He saw the innocent Jenny that he had seen in the asylum, before the Joker, before the escape. She was in pain again, that was clear. She was covered in bruises and her wrists had been tied behind her back, meaning she was unsteady on her feet. He still didn't know why she had been cut and covered in blood when he saw her in Blackgate, and he felt a strange anger that someone had obviously hurt her. He hated her, and felt protective of her simultaneously. Now, here, in front of Gotham's criminals and corrupt, Bane had asked for her personally. He knew what that meant. Scarecrow was gleeful at the thought, but Crane felt sick. He did hate her, but handing her over to Bane.. He realised the crowd was watching him. If Bane wanted her he'd take her regardless of Crane's stance, but Bane liked to pretend that there were actually rules in this reformed city. He saw Jenny's eyes, wide and frightened. He'd never seen her so scared. Scarecrow reminded him of what she had done and he found himself nodding to Bane. A man came forward and grabbed her, dragging her out of the room after the masked man. Crane took a sip of water, feeling his throat tight and dry, before calling for the next prisoner.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so sorry this has taken so long! I definitely underestimated the workload at university. But I love it so far :3 I really hope you guys are liking this story, and thanks to everyone who's still sticking with this story. And I know I keep asking you, but please keep reviewing! It motivates me to keep writing, and I love knowing what you guys like about the story. Again, thanks so much!

**bnhullova: **You flatter me! I hope it's still interesting, thanks so much for reviewing:)

**Holy Batman At The Disco: **Oh wow, that's a huge honour! I've read the comics, so I knew that the back-breaking was a possibility, but it was still awful to see :( I hope you like Crane's continued appearance, and thank you so much for such a great review :3

**ZabuzasGirl: **Not as immediately as I wanted to upload it haha, but I hope you enjoy it :)

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


	9. Chapter 9

**Deshi Basara**

**Chapter Nine**

"Sold. To the man in the cold sweat."

One of the 'guards' stepped forward and dragged the snivelling Philip Stryver away to the frozen river. He'd be dead within the hour. Crane walked down from the makeshift stand and moved through the departing crowd to get to his room. He couldn't call it an office. There were no framed certificates of his achievements or folders filled with information on his patients. It was empty apart from a simple couch, a desk and a desk chair. Everything else had been destroyed or taken during the uprising. He entered, making sure to lock the door, before collapsing on the couch, taking off his glasses and massaging the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes tightly, tying to block out the image of Jenny. It had only been a few hours since Bane had taken her away, but already he was being plagued by thoughts of what could happen to her in Bane's presence. She wouldn't die, at least not at first. He'd torture her, making her beg for death. Scarecrow was more than a little aroused at the thought, but once again Crane felt a sickness rise up. He wasn't sure why he felt that way. Scarecrow had told him, over and over again, what Jenny was like- the way she'd lied and manipulated him. But still, there was a part of him that remembered how he had felt around her. He'd felt _happy_. There were very few situations that Crane could remember in which he felt as content as he had when he sat with Jenny on the couch, watching the news and wondering why the police were still bothering trying to find them. The fear in her eyes when Bane had spoken up was awful. She was truly frightened of him.

_**She should be. He'll make her pay for what she did. Just like we should've.**_

_But what did she do? You tell me time and time again that she's evil, that she's a whore, that she deserves everything she gets. But I can't remember half of it. You said she fucked the Joker, but the only evidence you have of that is the occasional look that they gave each other. A look means nothing._

_**Johnny-boy, are you going soft? She's just like every other girl who's ever laughed at you and pushed you away.**_

_But she _didn't_. She never laughed at me._

_**Are you really going to believe some doll-eyed little bitch over me? Let Bane have her.**_

_You've lied to me. This whole time, you've lied to me._

_**I never lied, Johnny-boy. I just showed you the truth. She hates you now anyway, and you don't have feelings like **_**normal **_**people, do you? It's not as though you could love her. You don't know how to love anyone. **_

_But I don't have to hate her either._

**_Why not? You have a lot of hate to give. You can't save her. I opened your eyes to what she was really like. She may not have been as bad as you thought-_**

_As bad as you TOLD me-_

**_-but it was only a matter of time. She would've turned against you eventually. I helped you, Johnny._**

Crane blocked out whatever Scarecrow said next. He couldn't quite understand what had just happened. Scarecrow had been lying to him. He had always known he could never trust him, but that bastard had been filling his head with poison. Jenny was the one person who actually showed any real emotion towards him, who didn't laugh at him and make fun of him. She'd quoted T.S Eliot, and had fallen asleep curled up to him. He'd pushed her away. Scarecrow was right about one thing- he couldn't love anyone. He'd never loved anyone. But Jenny was the closest thing he had to that.. and he'd just sent her to her death.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was the pain. She'd been in car accidents, had been beaten up by Scarecrow and the Joker, had been shot at.. but none of that came close to how she was feeling now. Her ribs felt like they were made of thousands of knives, pointing in at her organs. She was on her knees, her hands still tied behind her back and the cable ties, from what she could tell, had cut into her skin quite severely. She was shivering and every jolt sent another stab of pain through her ribs. She tried to open her eyes, and found only one of them would open fully. The other was swollen almost completely shut. A metallic taste covered her tongue. She looked around, trying not to move too much in case the pain became even worse. She was in a low-ceilinged room, the only source of light coming from the doorway opposite her. A shadow blocked out most of the light, and Jenny realised it was the lead mercenary. His head turned in her direction and he left. Moments later he was back, with Bane behind him. They approached and the mercenary placed the end of the gun under her chin, pushing her face up to look at them.

"Jennifer Aiken," Bane said, his voice echoing menacingly in the small room.

"Bane," Jenny murmured, shocked at how feeble her voice sounded. "How, how-"

"One week."

_A week? _She'd been here for a week? Why couldn't she remember anything? Why was she still alive?

Bane looked at her. "You are here because of your work with the Batman. Do you deny that you assisted him in lying about the Dent Act and hiding the true nature of Harvey Dent?"

"I- I helped him. Is Batman dead?"

"Dead? No. He is in a place reserved for sinners. From there he can see what Gotham has become, because of his lies, and yours. Only when Gotham is ashes will he have my permission to die."

Jenny didn't know what to think. If he was telling the truth then Batman was alive, but was probably being tortured as they spoke. But Bane could be lying.. getting her hopes up and destroying them when the time is right..

"Thousands of men were locked away under the Dent Act. A lie created by you and your friends to keep the free-thinkers at bay. They have taken back the city. Did you forget that you were one of them? Behind the bars of Blackgate Prison they suffered while Gotham prospered under an illusion. Now it is your turn to suffer."

"You really.. you really think this is the right way? You really think we haven't suffered?" Jenny asked between bursts of agony.

"The powerful are being ripped from their decadent nests and cast out into the cold world that we know and endure. Courts are being convened. Spoils are enjoyed. Blood is being shed. The police will survive as they learn to serve true justice. And you will pay for your decisions. Then, and only then, will you die." Jenny hung her head, exhausted after looking up at Bane and the mercenary. It sickened her when she realised just how weak she was. She could barely keep her eyes open. "Pain is my gift. And I have been giving it to you quite liberally. For one week I have tortured you, and you have barely whimpered. Now I must try another approach."

The mercenary left again, returning with two other men who carried a chair and a small metal box. They placed the chair behind Jenny and she was pulled up and thrown onto it. She bit her tongue to keep herself from yelling. Bane gripped her chin tightly and made eye contact, his black eyes shining with what looked like excitement. She tried to see what the men were taking out of the box but couldn't move her head enough. The clatter of the box rang out as it was placed on the concrete floor, and Jenny felt the cable ties being cut. Her arms screamed in relief as they hung at her sides, finally free of the restriction. Lifting one she was alarmed to see just how deeply the ties had cut her skin. Dried blood caked her arms and hands, and raw flesh was visible. The lead mercenary grabbed her right arm and held it straight out, a small torch held between his teeth.

"Barsad will administer the medication, courtesy of your old friend Doctor Crane," Bane said.

Jenny realised what they were doing and saw the glint of a needle. Panicking she tried to yank her arm out of Barsad's grip but he held it tightly, and the other two men gripped her, keeping her as still as they could. If she was stronger she could've made a desperate attempt to punch one of them, but in her weakened state she couldn't even manage that. Barsad positioned the needle against the inside of her arm and pushed it into her vein, pushing on the plunger and emptying the contents of the needle into her bloodstream.

For a moment nothing happened, then the light from the doorway grew until it blinded her vision. She fell from the chair and felt as though she was falling for hours before finally hitting the ground. Her vision was full of broken images, shadows and the bright light. Lines blurred and shapes changed constantly. She heard low rumblings that resembled voices, but couldn't work out what they were saying. She tried to stand, almost doubling over, before falling against a wall. The room spun. The largest shadow in the room approached. It was almost a foot taller than her, and had a strange mask-like device on its face. As it came closer the mask became dripping fangs, opening wide as if to devour her. It stopped inches from her face and Jenny yelled, falling to her knees and waiting for the inevitable attack. It didn't come, however, and when she looked up the shadow had moved away. A thin figure stood in front of her. She realised it was a woman. Her hair should've been blonde and curly but it was matted with blood and flesh. Her one remaining eye was a bright blue, but the other was replaced by a gaping gunshot wound. The woman lifted an arm and pointed accusingly at Jenny. Her breathing was more like a death rattle, and Jenny cowered in horror.

"Mom?" she whispered.

"Selina- you- why do you-"

"It wasn't me! Mom, it wasn't! I didn't kill you. It was Penrose. He, he told me what happened. It wasn't me!" She was sobbing now. Tears streamed down her face and she clutched at her head, trying to remove the image of her mom. She could feel something crawling on her skin and she scratched at her face, clawing, trying to get it away. "Please go I didn't kill you please go mom _please_-"

Her head felt as though an axe was cleaving through it, and her whole body shook. She felt as though she was on the deck of a ship. A ship that was sinking, it was filling with water and she was being dragged down with it. She'd drown. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs were collapsing. She couldn't breathe. What was happening? Where was she? She felt the room turn black and passed out.

* * *

Crane walked along the corridor purposefully. He knew if he looked suspicious the entire plan would've been for nothing. The locked door at the end was guarded by a short man holding a gun. He watched as Crane approached, narrowing his eyes.

"What are you doing down here, Crane?"

_**Just saving a girl who deserves a bullet to the head.**_

"Bane wants you upstairs."

"Bane- why?" The man, serious a moment ago, now looked uneasy.

"How should I know?" Crane sneered. "Something to do with an unruly prisoner."

"I'm supposed to watch the girl-"

"So I'll tell Bane that he caught you at a bad time? I'm sure he'll understand." Crane turned, as though to leave, but knew he wouldn't get far. He was right.

"Wait! I'll go." Crane turned back, his eyebrows raised.

"Are you sure? I could always tell Bane-"

_**Nice touch..**_

"No! l'm going aren't I? Make sure no one gets in here," the man said, jerking his head towards the door.

"Of course." Crane stood in the man's place and waited until he was out of sight before he relaxed a little in relief. The door was locked from the outside, but only with a small latch. Clearly they didn't think Jenny would be in any fit state to even attempt to escape. His heart lurched. He had no idea what he was going to find on the other side of the door.

_**She'll be dead, Jonathan. Good** **riddance..**_

With a deep breath he unlocked the door and swung it open. His blood ran cold.

Jenny was laying face down in the middle of the room. Her clothing was torn and bloody. Any skin visible was purple and bruised. Her hair was a mess. But what scared him most of all was the lack of movement. She was lifeless. He moved forward cautiously and knelt down next to her. Making sure to cause as little discomfort as possible he turned her over, and his breath caught in his throat. Her face was torn, bloody cuts left red trails across her skin. One eye was swollen shut. His eyes wandered across her face and body, wondering what exactly had happened. He was furious. No one had the right to hurt her like this. He picked her up gingerly and left, knowing he didn't have much time until the guard came back.

Carrying her out the back door he was shocked at how empty the streets were. He had timed the plan as perfectly as he could, knowing that there would be very few guards around this time of night, but he hadn't expected the corridors to be so empty. He was almost wary, wondering if Bane had known what he was going to do, and was waiting in the shadows. But no one jumped out, no one shot at them. He made it outside without incident, and carried Jenny to a van nearby. Bane's men had been using it to catch cops and other 'criminals' but Crane had taken the keys yesterday, and no one had bothered to look for them. He placed Jenny in the back as carefully as he could, knowing that she had at least a few broken bones, before getting in and driving away from the courthouse.

* * *

**A/N: **Quite a short chapter today, but a lot of development. I've got some ideas for where I'm going next, and I'm really excited to write the next chapters! Thanks once again to everyone who is following/favouriting/reviewing, and please continue to review when you've finished!

**bnhullova:** Haha thank you :3 I hope you like this new chapter, and I will indeed write like the wind! :P

**Holy Batman At The Disco: **I'm trying to get a few more references to the comics in, but at the moment there's not many opportunities. I am planning on bringing a certain character back later on, though, and with the new storyline in the Batman comics I'm hoping there'll be plenty of quotes to include :D And yeah, I'm definitely working towards sexy time with Crane/Jenny!

**Idunn:** Thank you! I hope this was worth the wait :)

**TC Stark: **Haha I'm glad someone spotted that reference :P Things are definitely still awkward, but developments will continue changing the relationship between them ;)

**Disclaimer:** Batman, and all original Batman characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. I only own Jenny.


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